:-NRLF 


1 


THE 


PATHFINDER; 


THE      INLAND     SEA 


BY    J.    FENIM-OEE    COOPER. 


Hore  the  heart 

May  giro  a  useful  lesson  to  the  head, 

And  Learning  wiser  grow  without  his  booka.--C'0irp«r 


COMPLETE   IN    ONE     VOLUME. 


FEW    EDITION. 


NEW    YORK: 
STRINGER      AND      TOWNSEND. 


1866. 


C 

THE  PATHFINDER. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1839.  by 

J.  FKNIMORE  COOPER, 

la  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  State*,  in  and  for  Mie 
Northern  District  of  New  York. 


/L    / 
PREPACK. 



THE  plan  of  this  tale  is  old,  having  suggested  itself 
to  the  writer  many  years  since ;  though  the  details  are 
altogether  of  recent  invention.  The  idea  of  associating 
seamen  and  savages,  in  incidents  that  might  be  sup 
posed  characteristic  of  the  Great  Lakes,  having  been 
mentioned  to  a  publisher,  the  latter  obtained  something 
like  a  pledge  from  the  Author,  to  carry  out  the  design 
at  some  future  day ;  which  pledge  is  now  tardily  and 
imperfectly  redeemed. 

The  reader  may  recognize  an  old  friend,  under  new 
circumstances,  in  the  principal  character  of  this  legend. 
If  it  should  be  found  that  the  exhibition  made  of  this 
old  acquaintance,  in  the  novel  circumstances  in  which 
he  appears,  shall  not  lessen  his  favour  with  the  public, 
it  will  be  a  source  of  extreme  gratification  to  the 
writer,  since  he  has  an  interest  in  the  individual  in 
question,  that  falls  little  short  of  reality.  It  is  not  an 
easy  task,  however,  to  introduce  the  same  character 
in  four  separate  works,  and  to  maintain  the  peculiari 
ties  that  are  indispensable  to  identity,  without  incur 
ring  a  risk  of  fatiguing  the  reader  with  sameness;  and 
the  present  experiment  has  been  so  long  delayed,  quite 
as  much  from  doubts  of  its  success  as  from  any  other 
cause.  In  this,  as  in  every  other  undertaking,  it  must 
be  the  "  end"  that  will  "  crown  the  work." 

The  Indian  character  has  so  little  variety,  that  it 
has  been  an  object  to  avoid  dwelling  on  it  too  much, 
on  the  present  occasion.  Its  association  with  the  sailor, 

(3) 


iv  PREFACE. 

too,  it  is  feared,  will  be  found  to  have  more  novelty 
than  interest. 

It  may  strike  the  novice  as  an  anachronism,  to  place 
vessels  on  Ontario  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen 
tury  ;  but,  in  this  particular,  facts  will  fully  bear  out 
all  the  license  of  the  fiction.  Although  the  precise 
vessels  mentioned  in  these  pages  may  never  have 
existed  on  that  water,  or  anywhere  else,  others  so 
nearly  resembling  them,  as  to  form  a  sufficient  author 
ity  for  their  introduction  into  a  work  of  fiction,  are 
known  to  have  navigated  that  inland  sea,  even  at  a 
period  much  earlier  than  the  one  just  mentioned.  It  is 
a  fact  not  generally  remembered,  however  well  known 
it  may  be,  that  there  are  isolated  spots,  along  the 
line  of  the  great  lakes,  that  date,  as  settlements,  as  far 
back  as  many  of  the  older  American  towns,  and  which 
were  the  seats  of  a  species  of  civilization,  long  before 
the  greater  portion  of  even  the  older  states  was  rescued 
from  the  wilderness. 

Ontario,  in  our  own  times,  has  been  the  scene  of 
important  naval  evolutions.  Fleets  have  manoeuvred 
on  those  waters,  which,  half  a  century  since,  were  as 
deserted  as  waters  well  can  be ;  and  the  day  is  not 
distant,  when  the  whole  of  that  vast  range  of  lakes 
will  become  the  seat  of  empire,  and  fraught  with  all 
the  interests  of  human  society.  A  passing  glimpse, 
even  though  it  be  in  a  work  of  fiction,  of  what  that 
vast  region  so  lately  was,  may  help  to  make  up  the 
sum  of  knowledge  by  which  alone  a  just  appreciatior 
can  be  formed  of  the  wonderful  means,  by  which  Pro- 
vidence  is  clearing  the  way  for  the  advancement  of 
civilization  across  the  whole  American  continent 


THE    PATHFINDER 


CHAPTER  I. 


The  turf  shall  be  my  fragrant  shrine 
My  temple,  Lord !  that  arch  of  thine ; 
My  censer's  breath  the  mountain  airs, 
And  silent  thoughts  my  only  prayers. 

MOORE. 


THE  sublimity  connected  with  vastness  is  familiar  to  every 
eye.  The  most  abstruse,  the  most  far-reaching,  perhaps  the 
most  chastened  of  the  poet's  thoughts,  crowd  on  the  imagina 
tion  as  he  gazes  into  the  depths  of  the  illimitable  void.  The  ex 
panse  of  the  ocean  is  seldom  seen  by  the  novice  with  indiffer 
ence,  and  the  mind,  even  in  the  obscurity  of  night,  finds  a  par 
allel  to  that  grandeur,  which  seems  inseparable  from  images 
that  the  senses  cannot  compass.  With  feelings  akin  to  this  ad 
miration  and  awe — the  offspring  of  sublimity — were  the  dif 
ferent  characters  with  which  the  action  of  this  tale  must  open, 
gazing  on  the  scene  before  them.  Four  persons  in  all — two 
of  each  sex — they  had  managed  to  ascend  a  pile  of  trees, 
that  had  been  uptorn  by  a  tempest,  to  catch  a  view  of  the 
objects  that  surrounded  them.  It  is  still  the  practice  of  the 
country  to  call  these  spots  wind-rows.  By  letting  in  the 
light  of  heaven  upon  the  dark  and  damp  recesses  of  the 
wood,  they  form  a  sort  of  oases  in  the  solemn  obscurity  of 
the  virgin  forests  of  America.  The  particular  wind-row  of 
which  we  are  writing,  lay  on  the  brow  of  a  gentle  acclivity, 
and,  though  small,  it  had  opened  the  way  for  an  extensive 
view  to  those  who  might  occupy  its  upper  margin,  a  rare 
occurrence  to  the  traveller  in  the  woods.  As  usual,  the  spot 
was  small,  but  owing  to  the  circumstances  of  its  lying  on  the 
low  acclivitv  mentioned,  and  that  of  the  opening's  extending 
2  03) 


14  THE    PATHFINDER. 

downward,  it  offered  more  than  common  advantages  to  the 
eye.  Philosophy  has  not  yet  determined  the  nature  of  the 
power  that  so  often  lays  desolate  spots  of  this  description : 
some  ascribing  it  to  the  whirlwinds  that  produce  water-spouts 
on  the  ocean ;  while  others  again  impute  it  to  sudden  and 
violent  passages  of  streams  of  the  electric  fluid ;  but  the  ef 
fects  in  the  woods  are  familiar  to  all.  On  the  upper  margin 
of  the  opening  to  which  there  is  allusion,  the  viewless  in 
fluence  had  piled  tree  on  tree,  in  such  a  manner  as  had  not  only 
enabled  the  two  males  of  the  party  to  ascend  to  an  elevation 
of  some  thirty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  earth,  but,  with  a 
little  care  and  encouragement,  to  induce  their  more  timid 
companions  to  accompany  them.  The  vast  trunks  that  had 
been  broken  and  driven  by  the  force  of  the  gust,  lay  blended 
like  jack-straws,  while  their  branches,  still  exhaling  the 
fragrance  of  wilted  leaves,  were  interlaced  in  a  manner  to 
afford  sufficient  support  to  the  hands.  One  tree  had  been 
completely  uprooted,  and  its  lower  end,  filled  with  earth, 
had  been  cast  uppermost,  in  a  way  to  supply  a  sort  of 
staging  for  the  four  adventurers,  when  they  had  gained  the 
desired  distance  from  the  ground. 

The  reader  is  to  anticipate  none  of  the  appliances  of  people 
of  condition  in  the  description  of  the  personal  appearances 
of  the  group  in  question.  They  were  all  wayfarers  in  the 
wilderness  ;  and  had  they  not  been,  neither  their  previous 
habits  nor  their  actual  social  positions  would  have  accustom 
ed  them  to  many  of  the  luxuries  of  rank.  Two  of  the  party, 
indeed,  a  male  and  female,  belonged  to  the  native  owners  of 
the  soil,  being  Indians  of  the  well-known  tribe  of  the  Tusca- 
roras ;  while  their  companions  were  a  man,  who  bore  about 
Turn  the  peculiarities  of  one  who  had  passed  his  days  on  the 
ocean,  and  is  too,  in  a  station  little,  if  any,  above  that  of  a 
common  mariner ;  while  his  female  associate  was  a  maiden 
of  a  class  in  no  great  degree  superior  to  his  own ;  though 
her  youth,  sweetness  of  countenance,  and  a  modest,  but 
spirited  mien,  lent  that  character  of  intellect  and  refinement, 
which  adds  so  much  to  the  charm  of  beauty  in  the  sex.  On 
the  present  occasion,  her  full  blue  eye  reflected  the  feeling 
of  sublimity  that  the  scene  excited,  and  her  pleasant  face 
was  beaming  with  the  pensive  expression,  with  which  all 
deep  emotions,  even  though  they  bring  the  most  grateful 


THE   PATHFINDER.  15 

pleasure,  shadow  the  countenances  of  the  ingenuous  and 
thoughtful. 

And,  truly,  the  scene  was  of  a  nature  deeply  to  imprest 
the  imagination  of  the  beholder.  Towards  the  west,  in  which 
direction  the  faces  of  the  party  were  turned,  and  in  which 
alone  could  much  be  seen,  the  eye  ranged  over  an  ocean  of 
leaves,  glorious  and  rich  in  the  varied  but  lively  verdure  of  a 
generous  vegetation,  and  shaded  by  the  luxuriant  tints  that 
belong  to  the  forty-second  degree  of  latitude.  The  elm,  with 
its  graceful  and  weeping  top,  the  rich  varieties  of  the  maple, 
most  of  the  noble  oaks  of  the  American  forest,  with  the  broad- 
leafed  linden,  known  in  the  parlance  of  the  country  as  the 
bass-wood,  mingled  their  uppermost  branches,  forming  one 
broad  and  seemingly  interminable  carpet  of  foliage,  that 
stretched  away  towards  the  setting  sun,  until  it  bounded  the 
horizon,  by  blending  with  the  clouds,  as  the  waves  and  the 
sky  meet  at  the  base  of  the  vault  of  Heaven.  Here  and  there, 
by  some  accident  of  the  tempests,  or  by  a  caprice  of  nature, 
a  trifling  opening  among  these  giant  members  of  the  forest 
permitted  an  inferior  tree  to  struggle  upward  toward  the 
light,  and  to  lift  its  modest  head  nearly  to  a  level  with  tho 
surrounding  surface  of  verdure.  Of  this  class  were  the  birch, 
a  tree  of  some  account  in  regions  less  favoured,  the  quivering 
aspen,  various  generous  nut-woods,  and  divers  others  that 
resembled  the  ignoble  and  vulgar,  thrown  by  circumstances 
into  the  presence  of  the  stately  and  great.  Here  and  there, 
too,  the  tall,  straight  trunk  of  the  pine,  pierced  the  vast  field, 
rising  high  above  it,  like  some  grand  monument  reared  by 
art  on  a  plain  of  leaves. 

It  was  the  vastness  of  the  view,  the  nearly  unbroken  sur 
face  of  verdure,  that  contained  the  principle  of  grandeur. 
The  beauty  was  to  be  traced  in  the  delicate  tints,  relieved 
by  gradations  of  light  and  shadow ;  while  the  solemn  repose, 
induced  the  feeling  allied  to  awe. 

"  Uncle,"  said  the  wondering,  but  pleased  girl,  addressing 
her  male  companion,  whose  arm  she  rather  touched  than 
leaned  on,  to  steady  her  own  light  but  firm  footing,  "  this  is 
like  a  view  of  the  ocean  you  so  much  love  !" 

"  So  much  for  ignorance,  and  a  girl's  fancy,  Magnet,"-— 
a  term  of  affection  the  sailor  often  used  in  allusion  to  his 
niece's  personal  attractions,  —  "no  one  but  a  child  would 


16  THE    PATHFINDER. 

think  of  likening  this  handful  of  leaves  to  a  look  at  the  real 
Atlantic.  You  might  seize  all  these  tree-tops  to  Neptune's 
jacket,  and  they  would  make  no  more  than  a  nosegay  for 
his  bosom." 

"  More  fanciful  than  true,  I  think,  uncle.  Look  thither ; 
it  must  be  miles  on  miles,  and  yet  we  see  nothing  but  leaves  I 
what  more  could  one  behold,  if  looking  at  the  ocean  ?" 

"  More !"  returned  the  uncle,  giving  an  impatient  gesture 
with  the  elbow  the  other  touched,  for  his  arms  were  crossed, 
and  the  hands  were  thrust  into  the  bosom  of  a  vest  of  red 
cloth,  a  fashion  of  the  times, — "  more,  Magnet  ?  say,  rather, 
what  less  ?  Where  are  your  combing  seas,  your  blue  water, 
your  rollers,  your  breakers,  your  whales,  or  your  water 
spouts,  and  your  endless  motion,  in  this  bit  of  a  forest,  child?" 

"  And  where  are  your  tree-tops,  your  solemn  silence,  your 
fragrant  leaves,  and  your  beautiful  green,  uncle,  on  the 
ocean?" 

"  Tut,  Magnet ;  if  you  understood  the  thing,  you  would 
know,  that  green  water  is  a  sailor's  bane.  He  scarcely 
relishes  a  green-horn  less." 

"  But  green  trees  are  a  different  thing.  Hist !  that  sound 
is  the  air  breathing  among  the  leaves  !" 

"  You  should  hear  a  nor-wester  breathe,  girl,  if  you  fancy 
wind  aloft.  Now,  where  are  your  gales,  and  hurricanes, 
and  trades,  and  levanters,  and  such  like  incidents,  in  this  bit 
of  a  forest,  and  what  fishes  have  you  swimming  beneath 
yonder  tame  surface !" 

"  That  there  have  been  tempests  here,  these  signs  around 
us  plainly  show ;  and  beasts,  if  not  fishes,  are  beneath  those 
leaves." 

"  I  do  not  know  that,"  returned  the  uncle,  with  a  sailor's 
dogmatism.  "  They  told  us  many  stories  at  Albany,  of  the 
wild  animals  we  should  fall  in  with,  and  yet  we  have  seen 
nothing  to  frighten  a  seal.  I  doubt  if  any  of  your  inland 
animals  will  compare  with  a  low  latitude  shark !" 

"  See !"  exclaimed  the  niece,  who  was  more  occupied  with 
the  sublimity  and  beauty  of  the  "  boundless  wood,"  Than 
with  her  uncle's  arguments,  "  yonder  is  a  smoke  curling  over 
the  tops  of  the  trees — can  it  come  from  a  house  ?" 

'*  Ay,  ay ;  there  is  a  look  of  humanity  in  that  smoke," 
returned  the  old  seaman,  "  which  is  worth  a  thousand  trees 


THE    PATHFINDER,  17 

I  must  show  it  to  Arrowhead,  who  may  be  running  past  a 
port  without  knowing  it.  It  is  probable  there,  is  a  camboose, 
where  there  is  a  smoke." 

As  he  concluded,  the  uncle  drew  a  hand  from  his  bosom, 
touched  the  male  Indian,  who  was  standing  near  him,  lightly 
on  the  shoulder,  and  pointed  out  a  thin  line  of  vapour  that 
was  stealing  slowly  out  of  the  wilderness  of  leaves,  at  a  dis 
tance  of  about  a  mile,  and  was  diffusing  itself  in  almost 
imperceptible  threads  of  humidity,  in  the  quivering  atmo 
sphere.  The  Tuscarora  was  one  of  those  noble^looking^  war 
riors  that  were  oftener  met  with  among  the  aborigines  of  tliis 
continent  a  century  since,  than  to-day ;  and,  while  he  had 
mingled  sufficiently  with  the  colonists  to  be  familiar  with 
their  habits,  and  even  with  their  language,  he  had  lost  little, 
if  any,  of  the  wild .  grandeur  and  simple  dignity  of  a  chief. 
Between  him  and  the  old  seaman  the  intercourse  had  been 
friendly,  but  distant,  for  the  Indian  had  been  too  much  accus 
tomed  to  mingle  with  the  officers  of  the  different  military  posts 
he  had  frequented,  not  to  understand  that  his  present  companion 
was  only  a  subordinate.  So  imposing,  indeed,  had  been  the 
quiet  superiority  of  the  Tuscarora's  reserve,  that  Charles  Cap, 
for  so  was  the  seaman  named,  in  his  most  dogmatical  or  fa 
cetious  moments,  had  not  ventured  on  familiarity,  in  an  in 
tercourse  that  had  now  lasted  more  than  a  week.  The  sight 
of  the  curling  smoke,  however,  had  struck  the  latter  like  the 
sudden  appearance  of  a  sail  at  sea,  and,  for  the  first  time 
since  they  met,  he  ventured  to  touch  the  warrior,  as  has  been 
related. 

The  quick  eye  of  the  Tuscarora  instantly  caught  a  sight 
of  the  smoke,  and  for  quite  a  minute,  he  stood,  slightly  raised 
on  tiptoe,  with  distended  nostrils,  like  the  buck  that  scents  a 
taint  in  the  air,  and  a  gaze  as  riveted  as  that  of  the  trained 
pointer,  while  he  waits  his  master's  aim.  Then  falling  back  on 
his  feet,  a  low  exclamation,  in  the  soft  tones  that  form  so  singu 
lar  a  contrast  to  its  harsher  cries,  in '  the  Indian  warrior's 
voice,  was  barely  audible ;  otherwise,  he  was  undisturbed.  His 
countenance  was  calm,  and  his  quick,  dark,  eagle  eye  moved, 
over  the  leafy  panorama,  as  if  to  take  in  at  a  glance  every 
circumstance  that  might  enlighten  his  mind.  That  the  long 
journey  they  had  attempted  to  make  through  a  broad  belt 
of  wilderness,  was  necessarily  attended  with  danger,  both 
2* 


18  THE   PATHFINDER. 

uncle  and  niece  well  knew ;  though  neither  could  at  once  de 
termine  whether  the  sign  that  others  were  in  their  vicinity, 
was  the  harbinger  of  good  or  evil. 

"  There  must  be  Oneidas,  or  Tuscaroras,  near  us,  Arrow 
head,"  said  Cap,  addressing  his  Indian  companion  by  hia 
conventional  English  name ;  "  will  it  not  be  well  to  join  com 
pany  with  them,  and  get  a  comfortable  berth  for  the  night  in 
their  wigwam  ?" 

"  No  wigwam  there,"  Arrowhead  answered,  in  his  un 
moved  manner  —  "  too  much  tree." 

"  But  Indians  must  be  there ;  perhaps  some  old  mess-mates 
of  your  own,  Master  Arrowhead." 

"  No  Tuscarora  —  no  Oneida  —  no  Mohawk  —  pale-face 
fire." 

"  The  devil  it  is !  well,  Magnet,  this  surpasses  a  seaman's 
philosophy — we  old  sea-dogs  can  tell  a  soldier's  from  a  sail 
or's  quid,  or  a  lubber's  nest  from  a  mate's  hammock ;  but  I 
do  not  think  the  oldest  admiral  in  his  majesty's  fleet  can  tell 
a  king's  smoke  from  a  collier's  !" 

The  idea  that  human  beings  were  in  their  vicinity  in  that 
ocean  of  wilderness,  had  deepened  the  flush  on  the  bloom 
ing  cheek  and  brightened  the  eye  of  the  fair  creature  at  his 
side,  but  she  soon  turned  with  a  look  of  surprise  to  her 
relative,  and  said  hesitatingly,  for  both  had  often  admired  the 
Tuscarora's  knowledge,  or  we  might  almost  say,  instinct  — 

"  A  pale-face's  fire  !     Surely,  uncle,  he  cannot  know  that!" 

"  Ten  days  since,  child,  I  would  have  sworn  to  it ;  but, 
now,  I  hardly  know  what  to  believe.  May  I  take  the  liberty 
of  asking,  Arrowhead,  why  you  fancy  that  smoke,  now,  a 
pale-face's  smoke,  and  not  a  red-skin's  ?" 

"  Wet  wood,"  returned  the  warrior,  with  the  calmness 
with  which  the  pedagogue  might  point  out  an  arithmetical 
demonstration  to  his  puzzled  pupil.  "Much  wet  —  much 
smoke ;  much  water — black  smoke." 

"  But,  begging  your  pardon,  Master  Arrowhead,  the  smoke 
is  not  black,  nor  is  there  much  of  it.  To  my  eye,  now,  it  is 
as  light  and  fanciful  a  smoke  as  ever  rose  from  a  captain's  tea 
kettle,  when  nothing  was  left  to  make  the  fire,  but  a  few 
chips  from  the  dunnage." 

"  Too  much  water,"  returned  Arrowhead,  with  a  slight 
nod  of  the  head  •  "  Tuscarora  too  cunning  to  make  fire  with 


THE    PATHFINDER.  19 

water  ;  pale-face  too  much  book,  and  burn  an}  thing ;  much 
book,  little  know." 

"  Well,  that's  reasonable,  I  allow,"  said  Cap,  who  was  no 
devotee  of  learning :  "  he  means  that  as  a  hit  at  your  read 
ing,  Magnet,  for  the  Chief  has  sensible  notions  of  things 
in  his  own  way.  How  far,  now,  Arrowhead,  do  you  make 
us  by  your  calculation,  from  the  bit  of  a  pond,  that  you  call 
the  Great  Lake,  and  towards  which  we  have  been  so  many 
days  shaping  our  course  ?" 

The  Tuscarora  looked  at  the  seaman  with  quiet  superiority, 
as  he  answered  — 

"  Ontario,  like  heaven  ;  one  sun,  and  the  great  traveller 
will  know  it." 

"  Well,  I  have  been  a  great  traveller,  I  cannot  deny,  but 
of  all  my  v'y'ges  this  has  been  the  longest,  the  least  profit 
able,  and  the  farthest  inland.  If  this  body  of  fresh  water  is 
so  nigh,  Arrowhead,  and  at  the  same  time  so  large,  one 
might  think  a  pair  of  good  eyes  would  find  it  out,  for,  appa 
rently,  every  thing  within  thirty  miles  is  to  be  seen  from  this 
lookout." 

"  Look,"  said  Arrowhead,  stretching  an  arm  before  him 
tvith  quiet  grace ;  "  Ontario  !  " 

"  Uncle,  you  are  accustomed  to  cry  *  land  ho ! '  but  not 
'  water  ho !'  and  you  do  not  see  it,"  cried  the  niece,  laughing 
as  girls  will  laugh  at  their  own  idle  conceits. 

"  How  now,  Magnet,  dost  suppose  that  I  shouldn't  know 
my  native  element,  if  it  were  in  sight  1 " 

"  But,  Ontario  is  not  your  native  element,  dear  uncle,  for 
you  come  from  the  salt  water,  while  this  is  fresh." 

"  That  might  make  some  difference  to  your  young  mariner, 
but  none  in  the  world  to  the  old  one.  I  should  know  water, 
child,  were  I  to  see  it*n  China." 

"  Ontario,"  repeated  the  Arrowhead,  with  emphasis,  again 
stretching  his  hand  towards  the  north-west. 

Cap  looked  at  the  Tuscarora,  for  the  first  time  since  their 
acquaintance,  with  something  like  an  air  of  contempt,  though 
he  did  not  fail  to  follow  the  direction  of  the  chief's  eye  and 
arm,  both  of  which  were  directed,  to  all  appearance,  toward  a 
vacant  point  in  the  heavens,  a  short  distance  above  the  plair 
of  leaves. 

"  Ay,  ay ;  this  is  much  as  I  expected,  when  I  left  the  coasl 


20  THE  PATHFINDER. 

to  come  in  search  of  a  fresh-water  pond,"  resumed  Cap,  shrug- 
ging  his  shoulders  like  one  whose  mind  was  made  up,  and 
who  thought  no  more  need  be  said.  "  Ontario  may  be  there, 
or,  for  that  matter,  it  may  be  in  my  pocket.  Well,  I  suppose 
there  will  be  room  enough,  when  we  reach  it,  to  work  our 
canoe.  But,  Arrowhead,  if  there  be  pale-faces  in  our  neigh 
bourhood,  I  confess  I  should  like  to  get  within  hail  of  them." 

The  Tuscarora  now  gave  a  quiet  inclination  of  his  head, 
and  the  whole  party  descended  from  the  roots  of  the  uptorn 
tree,  in  silence.  When  they  had  reached  the  ground,  Arrow 
head  intimated  his  intention  to  go  towards  the  fire,  and  ascer 
tain  who  had  lighted  it,  while  he  advised  his  wife  and  the 
two  others  to  return  to  a  canoe,  which  they  had  left  in  the 
adjacent  stream,  and  await  his  return. 

"  Why,  chief,  this  might  do  on  soundings,  and  in  an  offing 
where  one  knew  the  channel,"  returned  old  Cap,  "  but  in  an 
unknown  region  like  this,  I  think  it  unsafe  to  trust  the  pilot 
alone  too  far  from  the  ship :  so,  with  your  leave,  we  will  not 
part  company." 

"  What  my  brother  want  ?"  asked  the  Indian,  gravely, 
though  without  taking  offence  at  a  distrust  that  was  suffi 
ciently  plain. 

"  Your  company,  Master  Arrowhead,  and  no  more.  I  will 
go  with  you,  and  speak  these  strangers." 

The  Tuscarora  assented  without  difficulty,  and  again  h« 
directed  his  patient  and  submissive  little  wife,  who  seldom 
turned  her  full  rich  black  eye  on  him,  but  to  express  equally 
her  respect,  her  dread,  and  her  love,  to  proceed  to  the  boat. 
But,  here,  Magnet  raised  a  difficulty.  Although  spirited,  and 
of  unusual  energy  under  circumstances  of  trial,  she  was  but 
woman,  and  the  idea  of  being  entirely  deserted  by  her  two 
male  protectors,  in  the  midst  of  a  wilderness,  that  her  senses 
had  just  told  her  was  seemingly  illimitable,  became  so  keenly 
painful  that  she  expressed  a  wish  to  accompany  her  uncle. 

"  The  exercise  will  be  a  relief,  dear  sir,  after  sitting  so  long 
in  the  canoe,"  she  added,  as  the  rich  blood  slowly  returned 
to  a  cheek  that  had  paled,  in  spite  of  her  efforts  to  be  calm  *, 
"  and  there  may  be  females  with  the  strangers." 

"Come,  then,  child — it  is  but  a  cable's  length,  and  we 
shall  return  an  hour  before  the  sun  sets." 

With  this  permission,  the  girl,  whose  real  name  was  Mabel 
Dunham,  prepared  to  be  of  the  party,  while  the  Dew-of-June 


THE  PATHFINDER.  21 

as  the  wife  of  Arrowhead  was  called,  passively  went  her  way 
towards  the  canoe,  too  much  accustomed  to  obedience,  soli 
tude,  and  the  gloom  of  the  forest,  to  feel  apprehension. 

The  three  who  remained  in  the  wind-row,  now  picked  their 
way  around  its  tangled  maze,  and  gained  the  margin  of  the 
woods,  in  the  necessary  direction.  A  few  glances  of  the  eye 
sufficed  for  Arrowhead,  but  old  Cap  deliberately  set  the  smoko 
by  a  pocket-compass,  before  he  trusted  himself  within  the 
shadows  of  the  trees. 

"  This  steering  by  the  nose,  Magnet,  may  do  well  enough 
for  an  Indian,  but  your  thorough-bred  knows  the  virtue  of  the 
needle,"  said  the  uncle,  as  he  trudged  at  the  heels  of  the  light 
stepping  Tuscarora.  "  America  would  never  have  been  dis 
covered,  take  my  word  for  it,  if  Columbus  had  been  nothing 
but  nostrils.  Friend  Arrowhead,  didst  ever  see  a  machine 
like  this?" 

The  Indian  turned,  cast  a  glance  at  the  compass,  which  Cap 
held  in  a  way  to  direct  his  course,  and  gravely  answered — 

"  A  pale-face  eye.  The  Tuscarora  see  in  his  head.  The 
salt-water  (for  so  the  Indian  styled  his  companion)  all  eye 
now ;  no  tongue." 

"  He  means,  uncle,  that  we  had  needs  be  silent ;  perhaps 
he  distrusts  the  persons  we  are  about  to  meet." 

"  Ay — 't  is  an  Indian's  fashion  of  going  to  quarters.  You 
perceive  he  has  examined  the  priming  of  his  rifle,  and  it  may 
be  as  well,  if  I  look  to  that  of  my  own  pistols." 

Without  betraying  alarm  at  these  preparations,  to  which 
she  had  become  accustomed  by  her  long  journey  in  the  wil 
derness,  Mabel  followed  with  a  step  as  light  and  elastic  as 
that  of  the  Indian,  keeping  close  in  the  rear  of  her  com 
panions.  For  the  first  half  mile,  no  other  caution  beyond 
a  rigid  silence  was  observed,  but  as  the  party  drew  nearer 
to  the  spot,  where  the  fire  waa  known  to  be,  much  greater 
care  became  necessary. 

The  forest,  as  usual,  had  little  to  intercept  the  view,  below 
the  branches,  but  the  tall  straight  trunks  of  trees.  Every 
thing  belonging  to  vegetation,  had  struggled  towards  the 
light,  and  beneath  the  leafy  canopy  one  walked,  as  it  might 
be,  through  a  vast  natural  vault*  that  was  upheld  by  myriads 
of  rustic  columns.  These  columns,  or  trees,  however,  often 
served  to  conceal  the  adventurer,  the  hunter,  or  Hre  foe,  and 


22  THE  PATHFINDER. 

as  Arrowhead  swiftly  approached  the  spot  where  his 
practised  and  unerring  senses  told  him  the  strangers  ought 
to  be,  his  footstep  gradually  became  lighter,  his  eye  more 
vigilant,  and  his  person  was  more  carefully  concealed. 

"  See,  salt-water,"  he  said  exultingly,  pointing  at  the  same 
time  through  the  vista  of  trees,  "  pale-face  fire  !" 

"  By  the  Lord,  the  fellow  is  right !"  muttered  Cap ;  "  there 
they  are,  sure  enough,  and  eating  their  grub  as  quietly  as  if 
they  were  in  the  cabin  of  a  three-decker." 

"  Arrowhead  is  but  half  right,"  whispered  Mabel,  "  for 
there  are  two  Indians  and  only  one  white  man." 

"  Pale-faces,"  said  the  Tuscarora,  holding  up  two  fingers ; 
'  red  man"  holding  up  one. 

"  Well,"  rejoined  Cap,  "  it  is  hard  to  say  which  is  right 
and  which  is  wrong.  One  is  entirely  white,  and  a  fine  comely 
lad  he  is,  with  an  air  of  life  and  respectability  about  him  ; 
one  is  a  red-skin  as  plain  as  paint  and  nature  can  make  him  ; 
but  the  third  chap  is  half-rigged,  being  neither  brig  nor 
schooner." 

"  Pale-faces,"  repeated  Arrowhead,  again  raising  two  fin 
gers — "  red  man,"  showing  but  one. 

"  He  must  be  right,  uncle,  for  his  eye  seems  never  to  fail. 
But  it  is  now  urgent  to  know  whether  we  meet  as  friends  or 
foes.  They  may  be  French." 

"  One  hail  will  soon  satisfy  us  on  that  head,"  returned 
Cap.  "  Stand  you  behind  this  tree,  Magnet,  lest  the  knaves 
take  it  into  their  heads  to  fire  a  broadside,  without  a  parley, 
and  I  will  soon  learn  what  colours  they  sail  under." 

The  uncle  had  placed  his  two  hands  to  his  mouth  to 
form  a  trumpet,  and  was  about  to  give  the  promised  hail, 
when  a  rapid  movement  from  the  hand  of  Arrowhead  de 
feated  the  intention  by  deranging  the  instrument. 

"  Red  man,  Mohican,"  said  the  Tuscarora ;  "  good ;  pale 
faces,  Yengeese." 

"  These  are  heavenly  tidings,"  murmured  Mabel,  who 
little  relished  the  prospect  of  a  deadly  fray  in  that  remote 
wilderness.  "  Let  us  approach  at  once,  dear  uncle,  and  pro 
claim  ourselves  friends." 

"  Good,  said  the  Tuscarora,  "  red  man  cool,  and  know ; 
pale-face  hurried,  and  fire.  Let  the  squaw  go." 

"  What,"  said  Cap,  in  astonishment,  "  send  little  Magnet 


THE    PATHFINDER.  23 

ahead,  as  a  look-out,  while  two  lubbers,  like  you  and  me,  lie- 
to,  to  see  what  sort  of  a  land-fall  she  will  make !  If  I  do, 
I " 

"  It  is  wisest,  uncle,"  interrupted  the  generous  girl,  "  and 
I  have  no  fear.  No  Christian,  seeing  a  woman  approach 
alone,  would  fire  upon  her,  and  my  presence  will  be  a 
pledge  of  peace.  Let  me  go  forward,  as  Arrowhead  wishes, 
and  all  will  be  well.  We  are,  as  yet,  unseen,  and  the  sur- 
prise  of  the  strangers  will  not  partake  of  alarm." 

"Good,"  returned  Arrowhead,  who  did  not  conceal  his 
approbation  of  Mabel's  spirit. 

"  It  has  an  unseaman-like  look,"  answered  Cap,  "  but, 
being  in  the  woods,  no  one  will  know  it.  If  you  think 
Mabel—" 

"  Uncle,  I  know.  There  is  no  cause  to  fear  for  me ;  and 
you  are  always  nigh  to  protect  me." 

"Well,  take  one  of  the  pistols,  then — " 

"  Nay,  I  had  better  rely  on  my  youth  and  feebleness,"  said 
the  girl,  smiling,  while  her  colour  heightened  under  her 
feelings — "  Among  Christian  men,  a  woman's  best  guard  is 
her  claim  to  their  protection.  I  know  nothing  of  arms,  and 
wish  to  live  in  ignorance  of  them." 

The  uncle  desisted :  and,  after  receiving  a  few  cautious 
instructions  from  the  Tuscarora,  Mabel  rallied  all  her  spirit, 
and  advanced  alone  towards  the  group  seated  near  the  fire. 
Although  the  heart  of  the  girl  beat  quick,  her  step  was  firm, 
and  her  movements,  seemingly,  were  without  reluctance.  A 
death-like  silence  reigned  in  the  forest,  for  they  towards  whom 
she  approached,  were  too  much  occupied  in  appeasing  that 
great  natural  appetite,  hunger,  to  avert  their  looks,  for  an 
instant,  from  the  important  business  in  which  they  were  all 
engaged.  When  Agnes,  however,  had  got  within  a  hundred 
feet  of  the  fire,  she  trud  upon  a  dried  stick,  and  the  trifling 
noise  that  was  produced  by  her  light  footstep  caused  the 
Mohican,  as  Arrowhead  had  pronounced  the  Indian  to  be, 
and  his  companion  whose  character  had  been  thought  so 
equivocal,  to  rise  to  their  feet,  as  quick  as  thought.  Both 
glanced  at  the  rifles  that  leaned  against  a  tree,  and  then  each 
stood  without  stretching  out  an  arm,  as  his  eyes  fell  on  the 
form  of  the  girl.  The  Indian  uttered  a  few  words  to  his 
companion,  and  resumed  his  seat  and  his  meal,  as  calmly  aa 


24  THE  PATHFINDER. 

if  no  interruption  had  occurred.  On  the  contrary,  the  white 
man  left  the  fire,  and  came  forward  to  meet  Mabel. 

The  latter  saw,  as  the  stranger  approached,  that  she  was 
about  to  be  addressed  by  one  of  her  own  colour,  though  his 
dress  was  so  strange  a  mixture  of  the  habits  of  the  two  races, 
that  it  required  a  near  look  to  be  certain  of  the  fact.  He  was 
of  middle  age,  but  there  was  an  open  honesty,  a  total  absence 
of  guile,  in  his  face,  which  otherwise  would  not  have  been 
thought  handsome,  that  at  once  assured  Magnet  she  was  in 
no  danger.  Still  she  paused,  in  obedience  to  a  law  of  her 
habits  if  not  of  nature,  which  rendered  her  averse  to  the 
appearance  of  advancing  too  freely  to  meet  one  of  the  other 
sex,  under  the  circumstances  in  which  she  was  placed. 

"  Fear  nothing,  young  woman,"  said  the  hunter,  for  such 
his  attire  would  indicate  him  to  be,  "  you  have  met  Christian 
men,  in  the  wilderness,  and  such  as  know  how  to  treat  all 
kindly  that  are  disposed  to  peace  and  justice.  I  am  a  man 
well  known  in  all  these  parts,  and  perhaps  one  of  my  names 
may  have  reached  your  ears.  By  the  Frenchers,  and  the 
red-skins  on  the  other  side  of  the  Big  Lakes,  I  am  called  la 
Longue  Carabine ;  by  the  Mohicans,  a  just-minded  and  up 
right  tribe,  what  is  left  of  them,  Hawk  Eye ;  while  the  troops 
and  rangers  along  this  side  of  the  water  call  me  Pathfinder, 
inasmuch  as  I  have  never  been  known  to  miss  one  end  of  the 
trail,  when  there  was  a  Mingo,  or  a  friend,  who  stood  in  need 
of  me,  at  the  other." 

This  was  not  uttered  boastfully,  but  with  the  honest  con 
fidence  of  one,  who  well  knew  that  by  whatever  name  others 
might  have  heard  of  him,  he  had  no  reason  to  blush  at  the 
reports.  The  effect  on  Agnes  was  instantaneous.  The 
moment  she  heard  the  last  soubriquet,  she  clasped  her  hands 
eagerly  and  repeated  the  word — 

"  Pathfinder !" 

"  So  they  call  me,  young  woman,  and  many  a  great  lord 
has  got  a  title  that  he  did  not  half  so  well  merit ;  though, 
if  truth  be  said,  I  rather  pride  myself  in  finding  my  way, 
where  there  is  no  path,  than  in  finding  it  where  there  is.  But 
the  regular  troops  are  by  no  means  particular,  and  half  the 
time  they  don't  know  the  difference  between  a  trail  and  a 
path,  though  one  is  a  matter  for  the  eye,  while  the  other  is 
little  more  than  scent." 


THE    PATHFINDER.  25 

"  Then  you  are  the  friend  my  father  promised  to  send  to 
meet  us !"  ' 

"If  you  are  serjeant  Dunham's  daughter,  the  great 
Prophet  of  the  Delawares  never  uttered  more  truth." 

"  I  am  Mabel,  and  yonder,  hid  by  the  trees,  are  my  uncle, 
whose  name  is  Cap,  and  a  Tuscarora,  called  Arrowhead.  We 
did  not  hope  to  meet  you  until  we  had  nearly  reached  the 
shores  of  the  lake." 

"  I  wish  a  juster-minded  Indian  had  been  your  guide," 
said  Pathfinder,  "  for  I  am  no  lover  of  the  Tuscaroras,  who 
have  travelled  too  far  from  the  graves  of  their  fathers  always 
to  remember  the  Great  Spirit ;  and  Arrowhead  is  an  ambi 
tious  chief.  Is  the  Dew-of-June  with  him  ?" 

"  His  wife  accompanies  us,  and  a  humble  and  mild  creature 
she  is." 

"  Ay,  and  true-hearted  ;  which  is  more  than  any  who  know 
him  will  say  of  Arrowhead.  Well,  we  must  take  the  fare 
that  Providence  bestows,  while  we  follow  the  trail  of  life. 
I  suppose  worse  guides  might  have  been  found  than  the 
Tuscarora  ;  though  he  ha-s  too  much  Mingo  blood  for  one 
who  consorts  altogether  with  the  Delawares." 

"  It  is  then,  perhaps,  fortunate  we  have  met,"  said  Mabe.. 

"  It  is  not  misfortunate,  at  any  rate,  for  I  promised  the 
serjeant  I  would  see  his  child  sale  to  the  garrison,  though  I 
died  for  it.  We  expected  to  meet  you  before  you  reached 
the  falls,  where  we  have  left  our  own  canoe;  while  we 
thought  it  might  do  no  harm  to  come  up  a  few  miles,  in  order 
to  be  of  service  if  wanted.  It  is  lucky  we  did,  for  I  doubt 
if  Arrowhead  be  the  man  to  shoot  the  current." 

"  Here  come  my  uncle  and  the  Tuscarora,  and  our  parties 
can  now  join." 

As  Mabel  concluded,  Cap  and  Arrowhead,  who  saw  that 
the  conference  was  amicable,  drew  nigh,  and  a  few  words 
sufficed  ,o  let  them  know  as  much  as  the  girl  herself  had 
learned  from  the  strangers.  As  soon  as  this  was  done,  the 
party  proceeded  towards  the  two  who  still  remained  near  the 
fire. 

3 


20  THE    PATHFINDER. 


CHAPTER  II. 

/ea!  long  as  nature's  humblest  child 

Hath  kept  her  temple  undefiled 

By  simple  sacrifice, 

Earth's  fairest  scenes  are  all  his  own, 

He  is  a  monarch,  and  his  throne 

Is  built  amid  the  skies ! 

WILSON. 

THE  Mohican  continued  to  eat,  though  the  second  white 
man  rose,  and  courteously  took  off  his  cap  to  Mabel  Dun 
ham.  He  was  young,  healthful,  and  manly  in  appearance ;  and 
he  wore  a  dress,  which,  while  it  was  less  rigidly  professional 
than  that  of  the  uncle,  also  denoted  one  accustomed  to  the 
vyater.  In  that  age,  real  seamen  were  a  class  entirely  apart 
'from  the  rest  of  mankind  ; — their  ideas,  ordinary  language, 
and  attire,  being  as  strongly  indicative  of  their  calling,  as  the 
opinions,  speech,  and  dress  of  a  Turk  denote  a  Mussulman 
Although  the  Pathfinder  was  scarcely  in  the  prime  of  life 
Mabel  had  met  him  with  a  steadiness  that  may  have  been  the 
consequence  of  having  braced  her  nerves  for  the  interview , 
but,  when  her  eyes  encountered  those  of  the  young  man  at 
the  fire,  they  fell  before  the  gaze  of  admiration,  with  which 
she  saw,  or  fancied  she  saw,  he  greeted  her.  Each,  in  truth, 
felt  that  interest  in  the  other,  which  similarity  of  age,  condi 
tion,  mutual  comeliness,  and  their  novel  situation  would  be 
likely  to  inspire  in  the  young  and  ingenuous. 

"  Here,"  said  Pathfinder,  with  an  honest  smile  bestowed  on 
Mabel,  "  are  the  friends  your  worthy  father  has  sent  to  meet 
you.  This  is  a  great  Delaware;  and  one  that  has  had 
honours  as  well  as  troubles  in  his  day.  He  has  an  Indian 
name  fit  for  a  chief,  but  as  the  language  is  not  always  easy 
for  the  inexperienced  to  pronounce,  we  naturally  turn  it  into 
English,  and  call  him  the  Big  Sarpent.  You  are  not  to  sup 
pose,  however,  that  by  this  name  we  wish  to  say  that  he  is 
treacherous,  beyond  what  is  lawful  in  a  red-skin,  but  that  he 
is  wise,  and  has  the  canning  that  becomes  a  warrior.  Ar 
rowhead,  there,  knows  what  I  mean." 

While  the  Pathfinder  was  delivering  this  address,  the  twc 
Indians  gazed  on  each  >ther  steadily,  and  the  Tuscarora  ad- 


THE   PATHFINDER.  27 

vanced  and  spoke  to  the  other  in  an  apparently  friendly 
manner. 

"  I  like  to  see  this,"  continued  Pathfinder ;  "  the  salutes 
of  two  red-skins  in  the  woods,  master  Cap,  are  like  the  haii- 
ing  of  friendly  vessels  on  the  ocean.  But,  speaking  oi 
water,  it  reminds  me  of  my  young  friend,  Jasper  Western, 
here,  who  can  claim  to  know  something  of  these  matters, 
seeing  that  he  has  passed  his  days  on  Ontario." 

'*  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  friend,"  said  Cap,  giving  the  young 
fresh-water  sailor  a  cordial  gripe ;  "  though  you  must  have 
something  still  to  learn,  considering  the  school  to  which  you 
have  been  sent.  This  is  my  niece,  Mabel — I  call  her  Mag 
net,  for  a  reason  she  never  dreams  of,  though  you  may, 
possibly,  have  education  enough  to  guess  at  it,  having  some 
pretensions  to  understand  the  compass,  I  suppose." 

"The  reason  is  easily  comprehended,"  said  the  young 
man,  involuntarily  fastening  his  keen  dark  eye,  at  the  same 
time,  on  the  suffused  face  of  the  girl ;  "  and  I  feel  sure  that 
the  sailor  who  steers  by  your  Magnet,  will  never  make  a  bad 
land-fall." 

"  Ha — you  do  make  use  of  some  of  the  terms,  I  find,  and 
that  with  propriety  and  understanding  ;  though,  on  the  whole, 
I  fear  you  have  seen  more  green  than  blue  water !" 

"It  is  not  surprising  that  we  should  get  some  of  the 
phrases  that  belong  to  the  land,  for  we  are  seldom  out  of 
sight  of  it,  twenty-four  hours  at  a  time." 

"  More  's  the  pity,  boy;  more's  the  pity.  A  very  little 
land  ought  to  go  a  great  way  with  a  seafaring  man.  Now, 
if  the  truth  were  known,  Master  Western,  I  suppose  there  is 
more  or  less  land  all  round  your  lake." 

"  And,  uncle,  is  there  not  more  or  less  land  around  tho 
ocean  ?"  said  Magnet,  quickly  ;  for  she  dreaded  a  premature 
display  of  the  old  seaman's  peculiar  dogmatism,  not  to  say, 
pedantry. 

"  No,  child,  there  is  more  or  less  ocean  all  round  the  land  ! 
that 's  what  I  tell  the  people  ashore,  youngster.  They  are 
living,  as  it  might  be,  in  the  midst,  of  the  sea,  without  know 
ing  it ;  by  sufferance,  as  it  were,  the  water  being  so  much 
the  more  powerful,  and  the  largest.  But  there  is  no  end  to 
conceit  in  this  world,  for  a  fellow  who  never  saw  salt  water 
often  fancies  he  knows  more  than  one  who  has  gone  round 


28  THE    PATHFINDER. 

the  Horn.  No — no — this  earth  is  pretty  much  an  island, 
and  all  that  can  be  truly  said  not  to  be  so,  is  water." 

Young  Western  had  a  profound  deference  for  a  mariner 
of  the  ocean,  on  which  he  had  often  pined  to  sail ;  but  he 
had,  also,  a  natural  regard  for  the  broad  sheet  on  which  he 
had  passed  his  life,  and  which  was  not  without  its  beauties  in 
his  eyes. 

"  What  you  say,  sir,"  he  answered,  modestly,  "  may  be 
true,  as  to  the  Atlantic ;  but  we  have  a  respect  for  the  land, 
up  here,  on  Ontario." 

"  That  is  because  you  are  always  land-locked,"  returned 
Cap,  laughing  heartily ;  "  But  yonder  is  the  Pathfinder,  as 
they  call  him,  with  some  smoking  platters,  inviting  us  to 
share  in  his  mess  ;  and  I  will  confess  that  one  gets  no  venison 
at  sea.  Master  Western,  civility  to  girls,  at  your  time  of  life, 
comes  as  easy  as  taking  in  the  slack  of  the  ensign  halyards ; 
and  if  you  will  just  keep  an  eye  to  her  kid  and  cann,  while  I 
join  the  mess  of  the  Pathfinder  and  our  Indian  friends,  I 
make  no  doubt  she  will  remember  it." 

Master  Cap  uttered  more  than  he  was  aware  of  at  the 
time.  Jasper  Western  did  attend  to  the  wants  of  Mabel,  and 
she  long  remembered  the  kind,  manly  attention  of  the  young 
sailor,  at  this  their  first  interview.  He  placed  the  end  of  a 
log  for  a  seat,  obtained  for  her  a  delicious  morsel  of  the  veni 
son,  gave  her  a  draught  of  pure  water  from  the  spring,  and  as 
he  sat  near  and  opposite  to  her,  fast  won  his  way  to  her  esteem 
by  his  gentle  but  frank  manner  of  manifesting  his  care ;  ho 
mage  that  woman  always  wishes  to  receive,  but  which  is  never 
so  flattering,  or  so  agreeable,  as  when  it  comes  from  the  young 
to  those  of  their  own  age;  from  the  manly  to  the  gentle. 
Like  most  of  those  who  pass  their  time  excluded  from  the 
society  of  the  softer  sex,  young  Western  was  earnest,  sin 
cere,  and  kind  in  his  attentions,  which,  though  they  wanted  a 
conventional  refinement,  that,  perhaps,  Mabel  never  missed, 
had  those  winning  qualities  that  prove  very  sufficient  as  sub 
stitutes.  Leaving  these  two  inexperienced  and  unsophisticated 
young  people  to  become  acquainted  through  their  feelings, 
rather  than  their  expressed  thoughts,  we  will  turn  to  the 
group,  in  which  the  uncle,  with  a  facility  of  taking  care 
of  himself  that  never  deserted  him,  had  already  become 
(i  principal  actor. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  2l> 

The  party  had  taken  their  places  around  a  platter  of  veni 
son  steaks,  which  served  for  the  common  use,  and  the  dis 
course  naturally  partook  of  the  characters  of  the  different 
individuals  that  composed  it.  The  Indians  were  silent  and 
industrious,  the  appetite  of  the  aboriginal  American  (pr  veni 
son  being  seemingly  inappeasable,  while  the  two  white  men 
were  communicative  and  discursive,  each  cf  the  latter  being 
garrulous  and  opinionated  in  his  way.  But  as  the  dialogue 
will  serve  to  put  the  reader  in  possession  of  certain  facts  that 
may  render  the  succeeding  narrative  more  clear,  it  will  be 
well  to  record  it. 

"  There  must  be  satisfaction  in  this  life  of  yours,  no  doubt, 
Mr.  Pathfinder,"  continued  Cap,  when  the  hunger  of  the 
travellers  was  so  far  appeased  that  they  began  to  pick  and 
choose  among  the  savoury  morsels  ;  "  it  has  some  of  the 
chances  and  luck  that  we  seamen  like,  and  if  ours  is  all 
water,  yours  is  all  land." 

"  Nay,  we  have  water  too,  in  our  journeyings  and  marches," 
returned  his  white  companion  :  "  we  border-men  handle  the 
*}addle  and  the  spear,  almost  as  much  as  the  rifle  and  the 
hunting-knife." 

"  Ay  ;  but  do  you  handle  the  brace  and  the  bow-line ;  the* 
wheel  and  the  lead-line ;  the  reef-point  and  the  top-rope 
The  paddle  is  a  good  thing,  out  of  doubt,  in  a  canoe,  but  of 
what  use  is  it  in  the  ship?" 

"  Nay,  I  respect  all  men  in  their  callings,  and  I  can  believe 
the  things  you  mention  have  their  uses.  One,  who  has  lived, 
like  myself,  in  company  with  many  tribes,  understands 
differences  in  usages.  The  paint  of  a  Mingo  is  not  the 
paint  of  a  Delaware  ;  and  he  who  should  expect  to  see  a 
warrior  in  the  dress  of  a  squaw,  might  be  disappointed.  1 
arn  not  yet  very  old,  but  I  have  lived  in  the  woods,  and  have 
some  acquaintance  with  human  natur'.  I  never  believed 
much  in  the  learning  of  them  that  dwell  in  towns,  for  I  ne 
ver  yet  met  with  one  that  had  an  eye  for  a  rifle,  or  a  trail." 

"  That 's  my  manner  of  reasoning,  Master  Pathfinder,  to 
a  yarn.  Walking  about  streets,  going  to  church  of  Sundays, 
and  hearing  sermons,  never  yet  made  a  man  of  a  human 
being.  Send  the  boy  out  upon  the  broad  ocean,  if  you  wish 
to  open  his  eyes,  and  let  him  look  upon  foreign  nations,  or, 
what  I  call  the  face  of  natur',  if  you  wish  him  to  understand 
3* 


30  THE    PATHFINDER. 

his  own  character.  Now,  there  is  my  brother-in-law,  the 
serjeant,  he  is  as  good  a  fellow  as  ever  broke  a  biscuit,  in 
his  way ;  but  what  is  he,  after  all  ?  why,  nothing  but  a  sol 
dier.  A  serjeant,  to  be  sure,  but  that  is  a  sort  of  a  soldier, 
you  know.  When  he  wished  to  marry  poor  Bridget,  my 
sister,  I  told  the  girl  what  he  was,  as  in  duty  bound,  and 
what  she  might  expect  from  such  a  husband,  but  you  know 
how  it  is  with  girls  when  their  minds  are  jammed  by  an  in 
clination.  It  is  true,  the  serjeant  has  risen  in  his  calling,  and 
they  say  he  is  an  important  man  at  the  fort ;  but  his  poor  wife 
has  not  lived  to  see  it  all,  for  she  has  now  been  dead  these 
fourteen  years." 

"  A  soldier's  calling  is  an  honourable  calling,  provided  he 
has  fi't  only  on  the  side  of  right,"  returned  the  Pathfinder , 
"  and  as  the  Frenchers  are  always  wrong,  and  His  Sacred 
Majesty  and  these  colonies  are  always  right,  I  take  it  the 
serjeant  has  a  quiet  conscience,  as  well  as  a  good  character 
I  have  never  slept  more  sweetly  than  when  I  have  fi't  the 
Mingos,  though  it  is  the  law  with  me  to  fight  always  like  a 
white  man,  and  never  like  an  Indian.  The  Sarpent,  here 
has  his  fashions,  and  I  have  mine ;  and  yet  have  we  fou't 
side  by  side,  these  many  years,  without  either's  thinking  a 
hard  thought  consarning  the  other's  ways.  I  tell  him  there 
is  but  one  heaven  and  one  hell,  notwithstanding  his  traditions 
though  there  are  many  paths  to  both." 

"  That  is  rational,  and  he  is  bound  to  believe  you,  though 
I  fancy  most  of  the  roads  to  the  last,  are  on  dry  land.  The 
sea  is  what  my  poor  sister,  Bridget,  use  to  call  a  *  purifying 
place,'  and  one  is  out  of  the  way  of  temptation  when  out  of 
sight  of  land.  I  doubt  if  as  much  can  be  said  in  favour  of 
your  lakes,  up  hereaway." 

"  That  towns  and  settlements  lead  to  sin,  I  will  allow ;  but 
our  lakes  are  bordered  by  the  forests,  and  one  is  every  day 
called  upon  to  worship  God,  in  such  a  temple.  That  men 
are  not  always  the  same,  even  in  the  wilderness,  I  must 
admit,  for  the  difference  between  a  Mingo  and  a  Delaware, 
is  as  plain  to  be  seen  as  the  difference  between  the  sun  and 
the  moon.  I  am  glad,  friend  Cap,  that  we  have  met,  how- 
uver,  if  it  be  only  that  you  may  tell  the  Big  Sarpent,  here, 
that  there  are  lakes  in  which  the  water  is  salt.  We  have 
been  pretty  much  of  one  mind  since  our  acquaintance  began. 


THE  PATHFINDER.  31 

and  if  the  Mohican  has  only  half  the  faith  in  me  that  1  have 
in  him,  he  believes  all  that  I  have  told  him,  touching  the 
white  men's  ways  and  natur's  laws ;  but,  it  has  always 
seemed  to  me  that  none  of  the  red-skins  have  given  as  free  a 
belief,  as  an  honest  man  likes,  to  the  accounts  of  the  Big 
Salt  La*kes,  and  to  that  of  there  being  rivers  that  flow  up 
stream." 

"  This  comes  of  getting  things  wrong  end  foremost,' 
answered  Cap,  with  a  condescending  nod.  "  You  have 
thought  of  your  lakes  and  rifts,  as  the  ship,  and  of  the  ocean 
and  the  tides,  as  the  boat.  Neither  Arrowhead  nor  the  Ser- 

rnt  need  doubt  what  you  have  said  concerning  both,  though 
confess,  myself,  to  some  difficulty  in  swallowing  the  tale 
about  there  being  inland  seas,  at  all,  and  still  more  that  there 
is  any  sea  of  fresh  water.  I  have  come  this  long  journey, 
as  much  to  satisfy  my  own  eyes  and  palate  concerning  these 
facts,  as  to  oblige  the  serjeant  and  Magnet,  though  the  first 
was  my  sister's  husband,  and  I  love  the  last  like  a  child." 

"  You  are  wrong — you  are  wrong,  friend  Cap,  very  wrong 
to  distrust  the  power  of  God,  in  any  thing,"  returned  Path 
finder,  earnestly.  "  They  that  live  in  the  settlements  and 
the  towns  get  to  have  confined  and  unjust  opinions  con- 
sarning  the  might  of  His  hand,  but  we  who  pass  our  time 
in  his  very  presence,  as  it  might  be,  see  things  differently — 
I  mean  such  of  us  as  have  white  natur's.  A  red-skin  has  his 
notions,  and  it  is  right  that  it  should  be  so,  and  if  they  are 
not  exactly  the  same  as  a  Christian  white  man's,  there  is  no 
harm  in  it.  Still  there  are  matters  that  belong  altogether  to 
the  ordering  of  God's  Providence, — and  these  salt  and  fresh 
water  lakes  are  some  of  them.  I  do  not  pretend  to  account 
for  these  things,  but  I  think  it  the  duty  of  all  to  believe  in 
them.  •  For  my  part,  I  am  one  of  them  who  think  that  the 
same  hand  which  made  the  sweet  water,  can  make  the  salt." 

"  Hold  on  there,  Master  Pathfinder,"  interrupted  Cap,  not 
without  some  heat ;  "  in  the  way  of  a  proper  and  manly  faith, 
I  will  turn  my  back  on  no  one,  when  afloat.  Although*  more 
accustomed  to  make  all  snug  aloft,  and  to  show  the  proper 
canvass,  than  to  pray,  when  the  hurricane  comes,  I  know  that 
we  are  but  helpless  mortals  at  times,  and  I  hope  1  pay  reve 
rence  where  reverence  is  due.  All  I  mean  to  say,  and  that 
is  rather  insinuated  I  han  said,  is  this ;  which  is,  as  you  all 


32  THE    PATHFINDER. 

know,  simply  an  intimation  that,  being  accisstomed  10  see 
water  in  large  bodies  salt,  I  should  like  to  taste  it,  before  I 
can  believe  it  to  be  fresh." 

"  God  has  given  the  salt  lick  to  the  deer,  and  he  has  given 
to  man,  red-skin  and  white,  the  delicious  spring  at  which 
to  slake  his  thirst.  It  is  unreasonable  to  think  that  he  may 
not  have  given  lakes  of  pure  water  to  the  west,  and  lakes 
of  impure  water  to  the  east." 

Cap  was  awed,  in  spite  of  his  overweening  dogmatism,  by 
the  earnest  simplicity  of  the  Pathfinder,  though  he  did  not 
relish  the  idea  of  believing  a  fact  which,  for  many  years,  he" 
had  pertinaciously  insisted  could  not  be  true.  Unwilling  to 
give  up  the  point,  and,  at  the  same  time,  unable  to  maintain 
it  against  a  reasoning  to  which  he  was  unaccustomed,  and 
which  possessed  equally  the  force  of  truth,  faith,  and  proba 
bility,  he  was  glad  to  get  rid  of  the  subject  by  evasion. 

"  Well,  well,  friend  Pathfinder,"  he  said,  "  we  will  nipper 
the  argument  where  it  is ;  and,  as  the  serjeant  has  sent  you 
to  give  us  pilotage  to  this  same  lake,  we  can  try  the  water 
when  we  once  reach  it.  Only  mark  my  words — I  do  not  say 
that  it  may  not  be  fresh  on  the  surface  ,  the  Atlantic  is 
sometimes  fresh  on  the  surface,  near  7'ie  mouths  of  great 
rivers ;  but,  rely  on  it,  I  shall  show  yo  r  a  way  of  tasting  the 
water  many  fathoms  deep,  of  which  you  never  dreamed ; 
and  then  we  shall  know  more  about  it." 

The  guide  seemed  content  to  let  the  matter  rest,  and  the 
conversation  changed. 

"  We  are  not  over-conceited  concerning  our  gifts,*'  observed 
the  Pathfinder  after  a  short  pause,  "  and  well  know  that  such 
as  live  in  the  towns,  and  near  the  sea — " 

"  On  the  sea,"  interrupted  Cap. 

"On  the  sea,  if  you  wish  it,  friend,  have  opportunities  that 
do  not  befal  us  of  the  wilderness.  Still,  we  know  our  own 
callings,  and  they  are  what  I  consider  natural  callings,  and 
are  not  parvarted  by  vanity  and  wartonness.  Now,  my  gills 
are  with  the  rifle,  and  on  a  trail,  and  in  the  way  of  game  and 
scouting ;  for,  though  I  can  use  the  spear  and  the  paddle,  J 
pride  not  myself  on  either.  The  youth,  Jasper,  there,  who 
is  discoursing  with  the  Serjeant's  daughter,  is  a  different 
creatur',  for  he  may  be  said  to  breathe  the  water,  as  it  might 
be,  like  a  fish.  The  Indians  and  Frenchers  of  the  north 


THE    PATHFINDER.  33 

shore  call  him  Eau-douce,  on  account  of  his  gifts  in  this  par 
ticular.  He  is  better  at  the  oar  and  the  rope  too,  than  in 
making  fires  on  a  trail." 

"  There  must  be  something  about  these  gifts  of  which  you 
speak,  after  all,"  said  Cap.  "  Now  this  fire,  I  will  acknow 
ledge,  has  overlaid  all  my  seamanship.  Arrowhead,  there,  said 
the  smoke  came  from  a  pale-face's  fire,  and  that  is  a  piece 
of  philosophy  that  I  hold  to  be  equal  to  steering  in  a  dark 
night  by  the  edges  of  the  scud." 

"  It 's  no  great  secret — it 's  no  great  secret,"  returned  Path- 
•  finder,  laughing  with  great  inward  glee,  though  habitual  cau 
tion  prevented  the  emission  of  any  noise.  "  Nothing  is  easier 
to  us  who  pass  our  time  in  the  great  school  of  Providence, 
than  to  larn  its  lessons.  We  should  be  as  useless  on  a  trail, 
or  in  carrying  tidings  through  the  wilderness,  as  so  many 
woodchucks,  did  we  not  soon  come  to  a  knowledge  of  these 
niceties.  Eau-douce,  as  we  call  him,  is  so  fond  of  the  water, 
that  he  gathered  a  damp  stick  or  two  for  our  fire,  and  there 
are  plenty  of  them,  as  well  as  those  that  are  thoroughly  dried, 
lying  scattered  about ;  and  wet  will  bring  dark  smoke,  as  I 
suppose  even  you  followers  of  the  sea  must  know.  It 's  no 
great  secret — it 's  no  great  secret — though  all  is  mystery  to 
such  as  doesn't  study  the  Lord  and  his  mighty  ways  with 
humility  and  thankfulness." 

"  That  must  be  a  keen  eye  of  Arrowhead's,  to  see  so  slight 
a  difference." 

"He  would  be  but  a  poor  Indian,  if  he  did'nt !  No,  no; 
it  is  war-time,  and  no  red-skin  is  outlying  without  using  his 
senses.  Every  skin  has  its  own  natur',  and  every  natur'  has 
its  own  laws,  as  well  as  its  own  skin.  It  was  many  years 
before  I  could  master  all  these  higher  branches  of  a  forest 
edication,  for  red-skin  knowledge  doesn't  come  as  easy  to 
white-skin  natur',  as  what  I  suppose  is  intended  to  be  white- 
skin  knowledge;  though  I  have  but  little  of  the  latter,  having 
past  most  of  my  time  in  the  wilderness." 

"  You  have  been  a  ready  scholar,  Master  Pathfinder,  as  is 
seen  by  your  understanding  these  Jhings  so  wel'.  I  suppose 
it  would  be  no  great  matter,  for  a  man  regularly  brought  up 
to  the  sea.  to  catch  these  trifles,  if  he  could  only  bring  his 
mind  fairly  to  bear  upon  them." 

"  I  don't  know  that.     The  wh/te  man  has  his  difficulties 


84  THE    PATHFINDER. 

in  getting  red-skin  habits,  quite  as  much  as  the  Indian  in 
getting  white-skin  ways.  As  for  the  real  natur',  it  is  my 
opinion  that  neither  can  actually  get  that  of  the  other." 

"  And  yet  we  sailors,  who  run  about  the  world  so  much, 
say  there  is  but  one  nature,  whether  it  be  in  the  China-man 
or  a  Dutchman.  For  my  own  part,  I  am  much  of  that  way 
of  thinking  too ;  for  I  have  generally  found  that  all  nations 
like  gold  and  silver,  and  most  men  relish  tobacco." 

"  Then  you  sea-faring  men  know  little  of  the  red-skins. 
Have  you  ever  known  any  of  your  China-men  who  could 
sing  their  death-songs,  with  their  flesh  torn  with  splinters,  and 
cut  with  knives,  the  fire  raging  around  their  naked  bodies, 
and  death  staring  them  in  the  face?  Until  you  can  find  me 
a  China-man,  or  a  Christian-man,  that  can  do  all  this,  you 
cannot  find  a  man  with  a  red-skin  natur',  let  him  look  ever 
so  valiant,  or  know  how  to  read  all  the  books  that  were  ever 
printed." 

"  It  is  the  savages  only  that  play  each  other  such  hellish 
tricks !"  said  Master  Cap,  glancing  his  eyes  about  him  unea- 
sily  at  the  apparently  endless  arches  of  the  forest.  "  No 
white  man  is  ever  condemned  to  undergo  these  trials." 

"Nay,  therein  you  are  again  mistaken,"  returned  the 
Pathfinder,  coolly  selecting  a  delicate  morsel  of  the  venison 
as  his  bonne  bouche ;  "  for  though  these  torments  belong 
only  to  the  red-skin  natur',  in  the  way  of  bearing  them  like 
braves,  white-skin  natur'  may  be,  and  often  has  been,  ago 
nized  by  them." 

"  Happily,"  said  Cap,  with  an  effort  to  clear  his  throat, 
"  none  of  His  Majesty's  allies  will  be  likely  to  attempt  such 
damnable  cruelties,  on  any  of  His  Majesty's  loyal  subjects. 
I  have  not  served  much  in  the  royal  navy,  it  is  true ;  but  I 
have  served — and  that  is  something ;  and,  in  the  way  of  pri 
vateering  and  worrying  the  enemy  in  his  ships  and  cargoes, 
I  've  done  my  full  share.  But  I  trust  there  are  no  French 
savages  on  this  side  the  lake,  and  I  think  you  said  that  On 
tario  is  a  broad  sheet  of  water  1" 

"  Nay,  it  is  broad  in  our  eyes,"  returned  Pathfinder,  not 
caring  to  conceal  the  smile  which  lighted  a  face  that  had 
been  burnt  by  exposure  to  a  bright  red,  "  though  I  mistrust 
that  some  may  think  it  narrow ;  and  narrow  it  is,  if  you 
wish  it  to  keep  off  the  foe.  Ontario  has  two  ends,  and  the 


THE    PATHFINDER.  35 

enemy  that  is  afraid  to  cross  it,  will  be  certain  to  come  round 
it." 

"  Ah  !  that  comes  of  your  d d  freshwater  ponds  !" 

growled  Cap,  hemming  so  Loud  as  to  cause  him  instantly  to 
repent  the  indiscretion.  "  No  man,  now,  ever  heard  of  a 
pirate's,  or  a  ship's  getting  round  one  end  of  the  Atlantic !" 

"  Mayhap  the  ocean  has  no  ends?" 

"  That  it  has  n't ;  nor  sides,  nor  bottom.  The  nation  that 
is  snugly  moored  on  one  of  its  coasts  need  fear  nothing  from 
the  one  anchored  abeam,  let  it  be  ever  so  savage,  unless  it 
possesses  the  art  of  ship-building.  No — no — the  people  who 
live  on  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic  need  fear  but  little  for  their 
skins  or  their  scalps.  A  man  may  lie  down  at  night,  in  those 
regions,  in  the  hope  of  finding  the  hair  on  his  head  in  the 
morning,  unless  he  wears  a  wig." 

"  It  is  n't  so  here.  I  don't  wish  to  flurry  the  young  wo 
man,  and  therefore  I  will  be  no  way  particular — though  she 
seems  pretty  much  listening  to  Eau-douce,  as  we  call  him — 
but  without  the  edication  I  have  received,  I  should  think  it, 
at  this  very  moment,  a  risky  journey  to  go  over  the  very 
ground  that  lies  between  us  and  the  garrison,  in  the  present 
state  of  this  frontier.  There  are  about  as  many  Iroquois  on 
this  side  of  Ontario,  as  there  are  on  the  other.  It  is  for  this 
very  reason,  friend  Cap,  that  the  serjeant  has  engaged  us  to 
come  out  and  show  you  the  path." 

"  What ! — do  the  knaves  dare  to  cruise  so  near  the  guns 
of  one  of  His  Majesty's  works  ?"  * 

**  Do  not  the  ravens  resort  near  the  carcase  of  the  deer, 
though  the  fowler  is  at  hand  1  They  come  this-a-way,  as  it 
might  be,  naturally.  There  are  more  or  less  whites  passing 
between  the  forts  and  the  settlements,  and  they  are  sure  to  be 
on  their  trails.  The  Sarpent  has  come  up  one  side  of  the 
river,  and  I  have  come  up  the  other,  in  order  to  scout  for  the 
outlying  rascals,  while  Jasper  brought  up  the  canoe,  like  a 
bold-hearted  sailor,  as  he  is.  The  serjeant  told  him,  with 
tears  in  his  eyes,  all  about  his  child,  and  how  his  heart 
yearned  for  her,  and  how  gentle  and  obedient  she  was,  until 
I  think  the  lad  would  have  dashed  into  a  Mingo  camp,  single 
handed,  rather  than  not  a-come." 

"  We  thank  him — we  thank  him  ;  and  shall  think  the  bet« 


36  THE  PATHFINDER. 

ler  of  him  for  his  readiness ;  though  I  suppose  the  boy  has 
run  no  great  risk,  after  all." 

"  Only  the  risk  of  being  shot  from  a  cover,  as  he  forced 
the  canoe  up  a  swift  rift,  or  turned  an  elbow  in  the  stream 
with  his  eyes  fastened  on  the  eddies.  Of  all  the  risky  jour 
neys,  that  on  an  ambushed  river  is  the  most  risky,  in  mv 
judgment,  and  that  risk  has  Jasper  run." 

"  And  why  the  devil  has  the  serjeant  sent  for  me  to  travel 
a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  this  outlandish  manner !  Give 
me  an  offing,  and  the  enemy  in  sight,  and  I  '11  play  with  him 
in  his  own  fashion,  as  long  as  he  pleases,  long  bows,  or  close 
quarters  ;  but  to  be  shot  like  a  turtle  asleep,  is  not  to  my 
humour.  If  it  were  not  for  little  Magnet,  there,  I  would 
tack  ship  this  instant,  make  the  best  of  my  way  back  to 
York,  and  let  Ontario  take  care  of  itself,  salt  water  or  fresh 
water." 

"  That  wouldn't  mend  the  matter  much,  friend  mariner,  as 
the  road  to  return  is  much  longer,  and  almost  as  bad  as  the 
road  to  go  on.  Trust  to  us,  and  we  will  carry  you  through 
<afe,  or  lose  our  scalps." 

Cap  wore  a  tight  solid  cue,  done  up  in  eel-skin,  while  the 
top  of  his  head  was  nearly  bald;  and  he  mechanically  pass 
ed  his  hand  over  both,  as  if  to  make  certain  that  each  was 
in  its  right  place.  He  was  at  the  bottom,  however,  a  brave 
man,  and  had  often  faced  death  with  coolness,  though  never 
in  the  frightful  forms  in  which  it  presented  itself,  under  the 
brief,  but  graphic,  picture  of  his  companion.  It  was  too  late 
to  retreat ;  and  he  determined  to  put  the  best  face  on  the  mat 
ter,  though  he  could  not  avoid  muttering  inwardly  a  few 
curses  on  the  indifference  and  indiscretion  with  which  his 
brother-in-law,  the  serjeant,  had  led  him  into  his  present 
dilemma. 

"  I  make  no  doubt,  Master  Pathfinder,"  he  answered 
when  these  thoughts  had  found  time  to  glance  through  his 
mind,  "  that  we  shall  reach  port  in  safety.  What  distance 
may  we  now  be  from  the  fort?" 

"  Little  more  than  fifteen  miles ;  and  swift  miles  too,  as 
{he  river  runs,  if  the  Mingos  let  us  go  clear." 

"  And  I  suppose  the  woods  will  stretch  along,  starboard  and 
larboard,  as  heretofore?" 

"Anan?" 


THE    PATHFINDER.  37 

*'I  mean  that  we  shall  have  to  pick  our  way  through 
these  damned  trees !" 

"  Nay,  nay,  you  will  go  in  the  canoe,  and  the  Oswego  has 
been  cleared  of  its  flood- wood  by  the  troops.  It  will  be  float 
ing  down  stream,  and  that,  too,  with  a  swift  current." 

"  And  what  the  devil  is  to  prevent  these  minks,  of  which 
you  speak,  from  shooting  us  as  we  double  a  head-land,  or  are 
busy  in  steering  clear  of  the  rocks?" 

"  The  Lord  ! — He  who  has  so  often  helped  others,  in  greater 
difficulties.  Many  and  many  is  the  time  that  my  head  would 
have  been  stripped  of  hair,  skin  and  all,  hadn't  the  Lord  fi't 
of  my  side.  I  never  go  into  a  skrimmage,  friend  mariner, 
without  thinking  of  this  great  ally,  who  can  do  more  in  bat 
tle,  than  all  the  battalions  of  the  60th,  were  they  brought 
into  a  single  line." 

'<  Ay — ay — this  may  do  well  enough  for  a  scouter ;  but 
\\e  seamen  like  our  offing,  and  to  go  into  action  with  nothing 
in  our  minds,  but  the  business  before  us — plain  broadside 
and  broadside  work,  and  no  trees  or  rocks,  to  thicken  the 
water." 

"And  no  Lord,  too,  I  dare  to  say,  if  the  truth  were 
known  !  Take  my  word  for  it,  Master  Cap,  that  no  battle 
is  the  worse  fou't  for  having  the  Lord  on  your  side.  Look 
at  the  head  of  the  Big  Sarpent,  there  ;  you  can  see  the  mark 
of  a  knife  all  along  by  his  left  ear ;  now,  nothing  but  a  bul 
let  from  this  long  rifle  of  mine,  saved  his  scalp  that  day,  for 
it  had  fairly  started,  and  half  a  minute  more  would  have  left 
him  without  the  war-lock.  When  the  Mohican  squeezes  my 
hand,  and  intermates  that  I  befriended  him  in  that  matter,  I 
tell  him,  no ;  it  was  the  Lord,  who  led  me  to  the  only  spot 
where  execution  could  be  done,  or  his  necessity  be  made 
known,  on  account  of  the  smoke.  Sartain  when  I  got  the 
right  position,  I  finished  the  affair  of  my  own  accord,  for  a 
friend  under  the  tomahawk  is  apt  to  make  a  man  think  quick, 
and  act  at  once,  as  was  my  case,  or  the  Sarpent's  spirit 
would  be  hunting  in  the  happy  land  of  his  people,  at  this  veiy 
moment." 

"  Come,  come,  Pathfinder,  this  palaver  is  worse  than  being 
skinned  from  stem  to  stern ;  we  have  but  a  few  hours  of  sun, 
and  had  better  be  drifting  down  this  said  current  of  yours, 
4 


38  THE  PATHFINDER. 

while  we  may.      Magnet,  dear,  are   you  not  ready  to  get 
under  way  ?" 

Magnet  started,  blushed  brightly,  and  made  her  prepara 
tions  for  an  immediate  departure.  Not  a  syllable  of  the 
discourse  just  related  had  she  heard,  for  Eau-douce,  as  young 
Jasper  was  oftener  called  than  any  thing  else,  had  been  fill 
ing  her  ears  with  a  description  of  the  yet  distant  port  towards 
which  she  was  journeying,  with  accounts  of  her  father,  whom 
she  had  not  seen  since  a  child,  and  with  the  manner  of  life 
of  those  who  lived  in  the  frontier  garrisons.  Unconsciously, 
she  had  become  deeply  interested,  and  her  thoughts  had  been 
too  intently  directed  to  these  interesting  matters,  to  allow  any 
of  the  less  agreeable  subjects  discussed  by  those  so  near  to 
reach  her  ears.  The  bustle  of  departure  put  an  end  to  the 
conversation  entirely,  and  the  baggage  of  the  scouts,  or 
guides,  being  trifling,  in  a  few  minutes,  the  whole  party  was 
ready  to  proceed.  As  they  were  about  to  quit  the  spot,  how 
ever,  to  the  surprise  of  even  his  fellow-guides,  Pathfinder 
collected  a  quantity  of  branches,  and  threw  them  upon  the 
embers  of  the  fire,  taking  care  even  to  see  that  some  of  the 
wood  was  damp,  in  order  to  raise  as  dark  and  dense  a  smoke 
as  possible. 

"When  you  can  hide  your  trail,  Jasper,"  he  said,  "a 
smoke  at  leaving  an  encampment  may  do  good,  instead  oi 
harm.  If  there  are  a  dozen  Mingos  within  ten  miles  of  us, 
some  on  'em  are  on  the  heights,  or  in  the  trees,  looking  out 
for  smokes ;  let  them  see  this,  and  much  good  may  it  do 
them.  They  are  welcome  to  our  leavings." 

"  But  may  they  not  strike,  and  follow  on  our  trail  ?"  asked 
the  youth,  whose  interest  in  the  hazard  of  his  situation  had 
much  increased,  since  the  meeting  with  Magnet.  "  We  shall 
leave  a  broad  path  to  the  river." 

"  The  broader  the  better ;  when  there,  it  will  surpass  Mingo 
cunning,  even,  to  say  which  way  the  canoe,  has  gone ;  up 
stream  or  down.  Water  is  the  only  thing  in  natur'  that  will 
thoroughly  wash  out  a  trail,  and  even  water  will  not  always 
do  it,  when  the  scent  is  strong.  Do  you  not  see,  Eau-douce, 
that  if  any  Mingos  have  seen  our  path  below  the  falls,  they 
will  strike  off  towards  this  smoke,  and  that  they  will  na 
turally  conclude  that  they  who  began  by  going  up  stream,  will 
end  by  going  up  stream  If  they  know  any  thing,  they  now 


THE    PATHFINDER.  39 

know  a  party  is  out  from  the  fort,  and  it  will  exceed  even 
Mingo  wit,  to  fancy  that  we  have  come  up  here,  just  for  tho 
pleasure  of  going  back  again,  and  that,  too,  the  same  day, 
and  at  the  i»sk  of  our  scalps." 

"  Certainly,"  added  Jasper,  who  was  talking  apart  with  the 
Pathfinder,  as  they  moved  towards  the  wind-row,  "  they  can 
not  know  any  thing  about  the  Serjeant's  daughter,  for  the 
greatest  secrecy  has  been  observed,  on  her  account." 

"  And  they  will  learn  nothing,  here,"  returned  Pathfinder, 
causing  his  companion  to  see  that  he  trod  with  the  utmost 
care,  on  the  impression  left  on  the  leaves,  by  the  little  foot  ot 
Mabel,  "  unless  this  old  salt-water  fish  has  been  taking  his 
niece  about  in  the  wind-row,  lake  a  fa'n  playing  by  the  side 
of  the  old  doe." 

"  Buck,  you  mean,  Pathfinder." 

"  Isn't  he  a  queerity  ?  —  Now,  I  can  consort  with  such  a 
sailor  as  yourself,  Eau-douce,  and  find  nothing  very  contrary 
in  our  gifts,  though  yours  belong  to  the  lakes,  and  mine  to 
the  woods.  Harkee,  Jasper,"  continued  the  scout,  laughing 
in  his  noiseless  manner ;  "  suppose  we  try  the  temper  of  his 
blade,  and  run  him  over  the  falls  ?" 

"  And  what  would  be  done  with  the  pretty  niece,  in  the 
meanwhile  ?" 

"  Nay — nay — no  harm  shall  come  to  her ;  she  must  walk 
round  the  portage,  at  any  rate ;  but  you  and  I  can  try  this 
Atlantic  oceaner,  and  then  all  parties  will  become  better  ac 
quainted.  We  shall  find  out  whether  his  flint  will  strike  fire ; 
and  he  may  come  to  know  something  of  frontier  tricks." 

Young  Jasper  smiled,  for  he  was  not  averse  to  fun,  and 
had  been  a  little  touched  by  Cap's  superciliousness ;  but  Mabel's 
fair  face,  light  agile  form,  and  winning  smiles,  stood  like  a 
shield  between  her  uncle  and  the  intended  experiment. 

"  Perhaps  the  Serjeant's  daughter  will  be  frightened,"  he 
said. 

"  Not  she,  if  she  has  any  of  the  Serjeant's  spirit  in  her. 
She  doesn't  look  like  a  skeary  thing,  at  all.  Leave  it  to  me, 
then,  Eau-douce,  and  I  will  manage  the  affair  alone." 

"  Not  you,  Pathfinder ;  you  would  only  drown  both.  If 
the  canoe  goes  over,  I  must  go  in  it." 

"  Well,  have  it  so,  then ;  shall  we  smoke  the  pipe  of 
agreement  on  the  bargain  ?" 


40  THE    PATHFINDER. 

Jasper  laughed,  nodded  his  head,  by  way  of  consent,  ana 
then  the  subject  was  dropped,  as  the  party  had  reached  the 
canoe,  so  often  mentioned,  and  fewer  words  had  determined 
much  greater  things  between  the  parties. 


CHAPTER  III. 

*  Before  these  fields  were  shorn  and  tilled, 
Full  to  the  brim  our  rivers  flowed; 
The  melody  of  waters  filled 
The  fresh  and  boundless  wood ; 
And  torrents  dashed,  and  rivulets  played, 
And  fountains  spouted  in  the  shade." BRYANT 

IT  is  generally  known,  that  the  waters  which  flow  into  the 
southern  side  of  Ontario,  are,  in  general,  narrow,  sluggish, 
and  deep.  There  are  some  exceptions  to  this  rule,  for  many 
of  the  rivers  have  rapids,  or,  as  they  are  termed  in  the  lan 
guage  of  the  region,  rifts,  and  some  have  falls.  Among  the 
latter  was  the  particular  stream  on  which  our  adventurers 
were  now  journeying.  The  Oswego  is  formed  by  the  junc 
tion  of  the  Oncida  and  the  Onondaga,  both  of  which  flow  from 
lakes ;  and  it  pursues  its  way,  through  a  gentle  undulating 
country,  some  eight  or  ten  miles,  until  it  reaches  the  margin 
of  a  sort  of  natural  terrace,  down  which  it  tumbles  some  ten 
or  fifteen  feet,  to  another  level,  across  which  it  glides,  or 
glances,  or  pursues  its  course  with  the  silent  stealthy  progress 
of  deep  water,  until  it  throws  its  tribute  into  the  broad  recepta 
cle  of  the  Ontario.  The  canoe  in  which  Cap  and  his  party  had 
ravelled  from  Fort  Stanwix,  the  last  military  station  on  the 
Mohawk,  lay  by  the  side  of  this  river,  .and  into  it  the  whole 
party  now  entered,  with  the  exception  of  Pathfinder,  who 
remained  on  the  land,  in  order  to  shove  the  light  vessel  off. 

"  Let  her  starn  drift  down  stream,  Jasper,"  said  the  man 
of  the  woods  to  the  young  mariner  of  the  lake,  who  had 
dispossessed  Arrowhead  of  his  paddle,  and  taken  his  own 
station  as  steersman ;  "  let  it  go  down  with  the  current. 
Should  any  of  these  infarnals,  the  Mingos,  strike  our  -trail, 
or  follow  it  to  this  point,  they  will  not  fail  to  look  for  tht 


THE    PATHFINDER.  41 

signs  in  the  mud,  and  if  they  discover  that  we  have  left  the 
shore,  with  the  nose  of  the  canoe  up-stream,  it  is  a  natural 
belief  to  think  we  went  up  stream." 

This  direction  was  followed  ;  and,  giving  a  vigorous  shove, 
the  Pathfinder,  who  was  in  the  flower  of  his  strength  and 
activity,  made  a  leap,  landing  lightly,  and  without  disturbing 
its  equilibrium,  in  the  bow  of  the  canoe.  As  soon  as  it  had 
reached  the  centre  of  the  river,  or  the  strength  of  the  current, 
the  boat  was  turned,  and  it  began  to  glide  noiselessly  down 
the  stream. 

The  vessel  in  which  Cap  and  his  niece  had  embarked  for 
their  long  and  adventurous  journey,  was  one  of  the  canoes 
of  bark,  which  the  Indians  are  in  the  habit  of  constructing, 
and  which,  by  their  exceeding  lightness,  and  the  ease  with 
which  they  are  propelled,  are  admirably  adapted  to  a  navi 
gation  in  which  shoals,  flood-wood,  and  other  similar  obstruc 
lions,  so  often  occur.  The  two  men  who  composed  its  original 
crew  had  several  times  carried  it,  when  emptied  of  its  luggage, 
many  hundred  yards ;  and  it  would  not  have  exceeded  the 
strength  of  a  single  man  to  lift  its  weight.  Still  it  was  long, 
and  for  a  canoe,  wide,  a  want  of  steadiness  being  its  princi 
pal  defect  in  the  eyes  of  the  uninitiated.  A  few  hours  prac 
tice,  however,  in  a  great  measure  remedied  this  evil,  and  both 
Mabel  and  her  uncle  had  learned  so  far  to  humour  its  move 
ments,  that  they  now  maintained  their  places  with  perfect 
composure;  nor  did  the  additional  weight  of  the  three  guides 
tax  its  power  in  any  particular  degree,  the  breadth  of  the 
rounded  bottom  allowing  the  necessary  quantity  of  water  to 
be  displaced,  without  bringing  the  gunwale  very  sensibly 
nearer  to  the  surface  of  the  stream.  Its  workmanship  was 
neat ;  the  timbers  were  small,  and  secured  by  thongs ;  and 
the  whole  fabric,  though  it  was  so  slight  and  precarious  to 
the  eye,  was  probably  capable  of  conveying  double  the  num. 
ber  of  persons  that  it  now  contained. 

Cap  was  seated  on  a  low  thwart,  in  the  centre  of  the  canoe  ; 
the  Big  Serpent  knelt  near  him.  Arrowhead  and  his  wife 
occupied  places  forward  of  both,  the  former  having  relin 
quished  his  post  aft.  Mabel  was  half-reclining  on  some  of  her 
own  effects,  behind  her  uncle,  while  the  Pathfinder  and  Eau- 
douce  stood  erect,  the  one  in  the  bow,  and  the  other  in  the 
stern,  each  using  a  paddle,  with  a  long,  steady,  noiseless 


42  THE   PATHFINDER. 

sweep.  The  conversation  was  carried  on  in  low  tones,  ali 
of  the  party  beginning  to  feel  the  necessity  of  prudence,  as 
they  drew  nearer  to  the  outskirts  of  the  fort,  and  had  nc 
longer  the  cover  of  the  woods. 

The  Oswego,  just  at  that  place,  was  a  deep,  dark  stream, 
of  no  great  width,  its  still,  gloomy-looking  current  winding 
its  way  among  overhanging  trees,  that,  in  particular  spots, 
almost  shut  out  the  light  of  the  heavens.  Here  and  there 
some  half-fallen  giant  of  the  forest  lay  nearly  across  its  sur 
face,  rendering  care  necessary  to  avoid  the  limbs ;  and  most 
of  the  distance,  the  lower  branches  and  leaves  of  the  trees 
of  smaller  growth  were  laved  by  its  waters.  The  picture 
which  has  been  so  beautifully  described  by  our  own  admira 
ble  poet,  and  which  we  have  placed  at  the  head  of  this  chap 
ter,  as  an  epigraph,  was  here  realized ;  the  earth  fattened  by 
the  decayed  vegetation  of  centuries,  arid  black  with  loam, 
the  stream  that  filled  the  banks  nearly  to  overflowing,  and 
the  "  fresh  and  boundleps  wood,"  being  all  as  visible  to  the 
eye,  as  the  pen  of  Bryant  has  elsewhere  vividly  presented 
them  to  the  imagination.  In  short,  the  entire  scene  was  one 
,  of  a  rich  and  benevolent  nature,  before  it  has  been  subjected 
to  the  uses  and  desires  of  man  ;  luxuriant,  wild,  full  of  pro- 
Unise,  and  not  without  the  charm  of  the  picturesque,  even  in 
'its  rudest  state.  It  will  be  remembered  that  this  was  in  the 
,year  175—,  or  long  before  even  speculation  had  brought  any 
portion  of  western  New-York  within  the  bounds  of  cjviliza- 
tion,  or  the  projects  cf  the  adventurous.  At  that  distant  day, 
there  were  two  great  channels  of  military  communication 
between  the  inhabited  portion  of  the  colony  of  New- York, 
and  the  frontiers  that  lay  adjacent  to  the  Canadas : — that  by 
Lakes  Champlain  and  George,  and  that  by  means  of  the 
Mohawk,  Wood  Creek,  the  Oneida,  and  the  rivers  we  have 
been  describing.  Along  both  these  lines  of  communication, 
military  posts  had  been  established,  though  there  existed  a 
blank  space  of  a  hundred  miles  between  the  last  fort  at  the 
head  of  the  Mohawk,  and  the  outlet  of  the  Oswegov  which 
embraced  most  of  the  distance  that  Cap  and  Mabel  had  jour 
neyed  under  the  protection  of  Arrowhead. 

"  I  sometimes  wish  for  peace,  again,"  said  the  Pathfinder, 
"  when  one  can  range  the  forest  without  searching  for  any 
other  enemy  than  the  beasts  and  fishes.  Ah's  !  me ;  many 


THE  PATHFINDER.  43 

is  the  day  that  the  Sarpent,  there,  and  I  have  passed  happily 
among  the  streams,  living  on  venison,  salmon  and  trout, 
without  thought  of  a  Mingo,  or  a  scalp !  I  sometimes  wish 
that  them  blessed  days  might  come  back,  for  it  is  not  my 
real  gift  to  slay  my  own  kind.  I  'm  sartain  the  Serjeant's 
daughter  don't  think  me  a  wretch  that  takes  pleasure  in  prey 
ing  on  human  natur'  ?" 

As  this  remark,  a  sort  of  half  interrogatory,  was  made, 
Pathfinder  looked  behind  him ;  and,  though  the  most  partial 
friend  could  scarcely  term  his  sun-burnt  and  hard  features 
handsome,  even  Mabel  thought  his  smile  attractive,  by  its 
simple  ingenuousness,  and  the  uprightness  that  beamed  in 
every  lineament  of  his  honest  countenance. 

"  I  do  not  think  my  father  would  have  sent  one  like  those 
you  mention,  to  see  his  daughter  through  the  wilderness,"  the 
young  woman  answered,  returning  the  smile  as  frankly  as  it 
was  given,  and  much  more  sweetly. 

"  That  he  would  n't,  that  he  would  n't ;  the  serjeant  is  a 
man  of  feeling,  and  many  is  the  march  and  the  fight  that 
we  have  had — stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  in,  as  he  would  call 
it — though  I  always  keep  my  limbs  free,  when  near  a 
Frencher,  or  a  Mingo." 

"You  are  then  the  young  friend  of  whom  my  father  has 
spoken  so  often  in  his  letters  ?" 

"'His  young  friend — the  serjeant  has  the  advantage  of  me 
by  thirty  years ;  yes,  he  is  thirty  years  my  senior,  and  as 
many  my  better." 

"  Not  in  the  eyes  of  the  daughter,  perhaps,  friend  Path 
finder,"  put  in  Cap,  whose  spirits  began  to  revive,  when  he 
found  the  water  once  more  flowing  around  him.  "  The  thirty 
years  that  you  mention,  are  not  often  thought  to  be  an  ad 
vantage  in  the  eyes  of  girls  of  nineteen." 

Mabel  coloured,  and  in  turning  aside  her  face,  to  avoid  the 
looks  of  those  in  the  bow  of  the  canoe,  she  encountered  the 
admiring  gaze  of  the  young  man  in  the  stern.  As  a  last 
resource  her  spirited,  but  soft  blue  eyes,  sought  refoge  in  the 
water.  Just  at  this  moment,  a  dull  heavy  sound  swept  up 
the  avenue  formed  by  the  trees,  borne  along  by  a  light  air 
Uiat  hardly  produced  a  ripple  on  the  water. 

"  That  sounds  pleasantly,"  said  Cap,  pricking  up  his  ears 


44  THE    PATHFINDER. 

like  a  dog  that  hears  a  distant  baying ;  "  it  is  the  surf  on  the 
shores  of  your  lake,  I  suppose?" 

"  Not  so — not  so  ;"  answered  the  Pathfinder — "  it  is  mere- 
]y  this  river  tumbling  over  some  rocks,  half  a  mile  below  us.7' 

"  Is  there  a  fall  in  the  stream !"  demanded  Mabel,  a  still 
brighter  flush  glowing  in  her  face. 

"  The  devil !  Master  Pathfinder — or  you,  Mr.  Eau-deuce — 
(for  so  Cap  began  to  style  Jasper,  by  way  of  entering  cor 
dially  into  the  border  usages,)  had  you  not  better  give  the 
canoe  a  sheer,  and  get  nearer  to  the  shore  ?  These  water 
falls  have  generally  rapids  above  them,  and  one  might  as 
well  get  into  the  Maelstrom,  at  once,  as  to  run  into  their  suc 
tion." 

"  Trust  to  us — trust  to  us,  friend  Cap,"  answered  Path 
finder  ;  "  we  are  but  fresh-water  sailors,  it  is  true,  and  I  can 
not  boast  of  being  much  even  of  that ;  but  we  understand 
rifts,  and  rapids,  and  cataracts ;  and,  in  going  down  these, 
we  shall  do  our  endeavours  not  to  disgrace  our  edication." 

"  In  going  down  !"  exclaimed  Cap — "  the  devil,  man  !  you 
do  not  dream  of  going  down  a  water-fall,  in  this  egg-shell  of 
bark  !" 

"  Sartain  ;  the  path  lies  over  the  falls,  and  it  is  much  easier 
to  shoot  them,  than  to  unload  the  carioe,  and  to  carry  that 
and  all  it  contains,  around  a  portage  of  a  mile,  by  hand." 

Mabel  turned  her  pallid  countenance  towards  the  young 
man  in  the  stern  of  the  canoe,  for  just  at  that  moment  a 
fresh  roar  of  the  fall  was  borne  to  her  ears,  by  a  new  cur 
rent  of  the  air,  and  it  really  sounded  terrific,  now  that  the 
cause  was  understood. 

"  We  thought,  that  by  landing  the  females,  and  the  two 
Indians,"  Jasper  quietly  observed,  "  we  three  white  men, 
all  of  whom  are  used  to  the  water,  might  carry  the  canoe 
over  in  safety,  for  we  often  shoot  these  falls." 

»*  And  we  counted  on  you,  friend  mariner,  as  a  mainstay  ;" 
said  Pathfinder,  winking  at  Jasper  over  his  shoulder,  "  for 
you  are  accustomed  to  see  waves  tumbling  about,  and  with 
out  some  one  to  steady  the  cargo,  all  the  finery  of  the  ser- 
jeant's  daughter  might  be  washed  into  the  river,  and  be  Io.,t.w 

Ciip  was  puzzled.  The  idea  of  going  over  a  water- (all 
was  perhaps  more  serious,  in  his  eyes,  than  it  would  have 
been  in  those  of  one  totally  ignorant  of  all  that  pertained  to 


THE    PATHFINDER.  45 

boats  ;  for  he  understood  the  power  of  the  element,  and  the 
total  feebleness  of  man  when  exposed  to  its  fury.  Still,  his 
pride  revolted  at  the  thought  of  deserting  the  boat,  while 
others  not  only  steadily,  but  coolly,  proposed  to  continue  in 
it.  Notwithstanding  the  latter  feeling,  and  his  innate  as  well 
as  acquired  steadiness  in  danger,  he  would  probably  have 
deserted  his  post,  had  not  the  images  of  Indians  tearing  scalps 
from  the  human  head  taken  so  strong  hold  of  his  fancy,  as 
to  induce  him  to  imagine  the  canoe  a  sort  of  sanctuary. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  with  Magnet?"  he  demanded,  affec 
tion  for  his  niece  raising  another  qualm  in  his  conscience. 
*  We  cannot  allow  Magnet  to  land  if  there  are  enemy's  In 
dians  near?" 

"  Nay — no  Mingo  will  be  near  the  portage,  for  that  is  a 
spot  too  public  for  their  deviltries,"  answered  the  Pathfinder, 
confidently.  "  Natur'  is  natur',  and  it  is  an  Indian's  natur' 
to  be  found  where  he  is  least  expected.  No  fear  of  him,  on 
a  beaten  path,  for  he  wishes  to  come  upon  you,  when  unpre 
pared  to  meet  him,  and  the  fiery  villains  make  it  a  point  to 
deceive  you,  one  way  or  another.  Sheer  in,  Eau-douce,  and 
we  will  land  the  Serjeant's  daughter,  on  the  end  of  that  log 
where  she  can  reach  the  shore  with  a  dry  foot." 

The  injunction  was  obeyed,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  whole 
party  had  left  the  canoe,  with  the  exception  of  Pathfinder  and 
the  two  sailors.  Notwithstanding  his  professional  pride,  Cap 
would  have  gladly  followed,  but  he  did  not  like  to  exhibit  so 
unequivocal  a  weakness  in  the  presence  of  a  fresh-water 
sailor. 

"  I  call  all  hands  to  witness,"  he  said,  as  those  who  had 
landed  moved  away,  "  that  I  do  not  look  on  this  affair  as  any 
thing  more  than  canoeing  in  the  woods.  There  is  no  sea 
manship  in  tumbling  over  a  water-fall,  which  is  a  feat  the 
greatest  lubber  can  perform  as  well  as  the  oldest  mariner." 

"Nay,  nay,  you  needn't  despise  the  Oswego  Falls,  neither," 
put  in  Pathfinder,  "  for  though  they  may  not  be  Niagara,  nor 
the  Genessee,  nor  the  Cahoos,  nor  Glenn's,  nor  those  on  the 
Canada,  they  are  narvous  enough  for  a  new  beginner.  Let 
the  Serjeant's  daughter  stand  on  yonder  rock,  and  she  will 
see  the  manner  in  which  we  ignorant  back-woodsmen  get 
over  a  difficulty  that  we  can't  get  under.  Now,  Eau-douce, 
a  steady  hand  and  a  true  eye,  for  all  rests  on  you,  seeing 


46  THE  PATHFINDER. 

thaf   we   ran   count  Master  Cap  for  no  more  than  a  pas 
senger." 

The  canoe  was  leaving  the  shore,  as  he  concluded,  while 
Mabel  went  hurriedly  and  trembling  to  the  rock  that  had 
been  pointed  out,  talking  to  her  companion  of  the  danger  her 
uncle  so  unnecessarily  ran,  while  her  eyes  were  riveted  on 
the  agile  and  vigorous  form  of  Eau-douce,  as  he  stood  erect 
in  the  stern  of  the  light  boat,  governing  its  movements.  As 
soon,  however,  as  she  reached  a  point  where  she  got  a  view 
of  the  fall,  she  gave  an  involuntary  but  suppressed  scream, 
and  covered  her  eyes.  At  the  next  instant,  the  latter  were 
again  free,  and  the  entranced  girl  stood  immovable  as  a 
statue,  a  scarcely  breathing  observer  of  all  that  passed.  The 
two  Indians  seated  them "  passively  on  a  log,  hardly  looking 
towards  the  stream,  while  the  wife  of  Arrowhead  came  near 
Mabel,  and  appeared  to  watch  the  motions  of  the  canoe,  with 
some  such  interest  as  a  child  regards  the  leaps  of  a  tumbler. 

As  soon  as  the  boat  was  in  the  stream,  Pathfinder  sunk  on 
his  knees,  continuing  to  use  the  paddle,  though  it  was  slowly, 
and  in  a  manner  not  to  interfere  with  the  efforts  of  his  com 
panion.  The  latter  still  stood  erect,  and,  as  he  kept  his  eye 
on  some  object  beyond  the  fall,  it  was  evident  that  he  was 
carefully  looking  for  the  spot  proper  for  their  passage. 

"  Farther  west,  boy  ;  farther  west — "  muttered  Pathfinder; 
"  there  where  you  see  the  water  foam.  Bring  the  top  of  the 
dead  oak  in  a  line  with  the  stem  of  the  blasted  hemlock." 

Eau-douce  made  no  answer,  for  the  canoe  was  in  the  cen 
tre  of  the  stream,  with  its  head  pointed  towards  the  fall,  and 
it  had  already  begun  to  quicken  its  motion,  by  the  increased 
force  of  the  current.  At  that  moment,  Cap  would  cheerfully 
have  renounced  every  claim  to  glory  that  could  possibly  be 
acquired  by  the  feat,  to  have  been  safe  again  on  shore.  He 
heard  the  roar  of  the  water,  thundering  as  it  might  be,  behind 
a  screen,  but,  becoming  more  and  more  distinct,  louder  and 
louder,  and  before  him  he  saw  its  line  cutting  the  forest 
below,  along  which  the  green  and  angry  element  seemed 
stretched  and  shining,  as  if  the  particles  were  about  to  lose 
their  principle  of  cohesion. 

"  Down  with  your  helm — down  with  your  helm,  man !" 
he  exclaimed,  unable  any  longer  to  suppress  his  anxiety,  as 
the  canoe  glided  *owards  the  edge  of  the  fall. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  47 

"  Ay — ay — down  it  is,  sure  enough,"  answered  Pathfinder, 
looking  behind  him  for  a  single  instant,  with  his  silent  joyous 
laugh — "  down  we  go,  of  a  sartainty  !  He~ye  her  starn  up, 
boy ;  fur  her  up  with  her  stahi !" 

The  rest  was  like  the  passage  of  the  view'ess  wind.  Eau- 
douce  gave  the  required  sweep  with  his  paddle,  the  canoe 
glanced  into  the  channel,  and  for  a  few  seconds  it  seemed  to 
Cap,  that  he  was  tossing  in  a  cauldron.  He  felt  the  bow 
of  the  canoe  tip,  saw  the  raging,  foaming  water,  careering 
madly  by  his  side,  was  sensible  that  the  light  fabric  in  which 
he  floated  was  tossed  about  like  an  egg-shell,  and  then,  not 
less  to  his  great  joy  than  to  his  surprise,  he  discovered  that 
it  was  gliding  across  the  basin  of  still  water,  below  the  fall, 
under  the  steady  impulse  of  Jasper's  paddle. 

The  Pathfinder  continued  to  laugh,  but  he  arose  from  his 
knees,  and,  searching  for  a  tin  pot  and  a  horn  spoon,  he  be 
gan  deliberately  to  measure  the  water  that  had  been  taken  in 
in  the  passage. 

"Fourteen  spoonsful,  Eau-douoe  ;  fourteen  fairly  measured 
spoonsful.  I  have,  you  must  acknowledge,  known  you  to  go 
down  with  only  ten." 

"  Master  Cap  leaned  so  hard  up  stream,"  returned  Jasper^ 
seriously,  "  that  I  had  difficulty  in  trimming  the  canoe." 

"  It  may  be  so — it  may  be  so ;  no  doubt  it  was  so,  since 
you  say  it ;  but  I  have  known  you  go  over  with  only  ten." 

Cap  now  gave  a  tremendous  hem,  felt  for  his  cue,  as  if  to 
ascertain  its  safety,  and  then  looked  back,  in  order  to  examine 
the  danger  he  had  gone  through.  His  safety  is  easily  ex 
plained.  Most  of  the  river  fell  perpendicularly  ten  or  twelve 
feet ;  but  near  its  centre,  the  force  of  the  current  had  so  far 
worn  away  the  rock,  as  to  permit  the  water  to  shoot  through  a 
narrow  passage,  at  an  angle  of  about  forty  or  forty-five  degrees. 
Down  this  ticklish  descent  the  canoe  had  glanced,  amid  frag 
ments  of  broken  rock,  whirlpools,  foam,  and  furious  tossings 
of  the  element,  which  an  uninstructed  eye  would  believe  men 
aced  inevitable  destruction  to  an  object  so  fragile.  But 
the  very  lightness  of  the  canoe  had  favoured  its  descent ; 
for,  borne  on  the  crests  of  the  waves,  and  directed  by  a  steady 
eye  and  an  arm  full  of  m  iscle,  it  had  passed  like  a  feather 
from  one  pile  of  foam  to  another,  scarcely  permitting  its 
glossv  side  to  be  wetted.  There  were  a  few  rocks  to  be 


48  THE    PATHFINDER. 

avoided  ,  the  proper  direction  was  to  be  rigidly  observed; 
and  the  fierce  current  did  the  rest.* 

To  say  that  Cap  was  astonished,  would  not  be  expressing 
half  his  feelings.  He  felt  awed,  for  the  profound  dread  of 
rocks,  which  most  seamen  entertain,  came  in  aid  of  his  ad 
miration  of  the  boldness  of  the  exploit.  Still  he  was  indis 
posed  to  express  all  he  felt,  lest  it  might  be  conceding  too 
much  in  favour  of  fresh  water,  and  inland  navigation  ;  and 
no  sooner  had  he  cleared  his  throat  with  the  aforesaid  hem, 
than  he  loosened  his  tongue  in  the  usual  strain  of  superiority. 

"  I  do  not  gainsay  your  knowledge  of  the  channel,  Master 
Eau-deuce,  (for  such  he  religiously  believed  to  be  Jasper's 
soubriquet,)  and,  after  all,  to  know  the  channel  in  such  a 
place  is  the  main  point.  I  have  had  cockswains  with  me  who 
could  come  down  that  shoot  too,  if  they  only  knew  the 
channel." 

"It  isn't  enough  to  know  the  channel,  friend  mariner," 
said  Pathfinder ;  "  it  needs  narves  and  skill  to  keep  the  canoe 
straight,  and  to  keep  her  clear  of  the  rocks  too.  There  isn't 
another  boatman  in  all  this  region  that  can  shoot  the  Oswego, 
but  Eau-douce,  there,  with  any  sartainty ;  though,  now  and 
then,  one  has  blundered  through.  I  can't  do  it  myself,  unless 
by  means  of  Providence,  and  it  needs  Jasper's  hand  and 
Jasper's  eye,  to  make  sure  of  a  dry  passage.  Fourteen 
spoonsful,  after  all,  are  no  great  matter,  though  I  wish  it  had 
been  bat  ten,  seeing  that  the  Serjeant's  daughter  was  a  look 
er  on." 

"  And  yet  you  conned  the  canoe ;  you  told  him  how  to 
head,  and  how  to  sheer." 

"  Human  frailty,  master  mariner ;  that  was  a  little  of 
white-skin  natur'.  Now,  had  the  Sarpent,  yonder,  been  in 
the  boat,  not  a  word  would  he  have  spoken,  or  thought  would 
he  have  given  to  the  public.  An  Indian  knows  how  to  hold 
his  tongue ;  but  we  white  folk  fancy  we  are  always  wiser  than 
our  fellows.  I  'm  curing  myself  fast  of  the  weakness,  but  it 
needs  time  to  root  up  the  tree  that  has  been  growing  more 
than  thirty  years." 

"1  think  little  of  this  affair,  sir;  nothing  at  all,  to  speak 

*  Lest  the  reader  suppose  we  are  dealing  purely  m  fiction,  the  writer 
will  add  that  he  has  known  a  long  thirty-two  pounder  carried  over 
these  same  falls  in  perfect  safety. 


THE  PATHFINDER.  49 

my  mind  freely.  It 's  a  mere  wash  of  spray  to  shooting 
London  Bridge,  which  is  done  every  day  by  hundreds  of  per 
sons,  and  often  by  the  most  delicate  ladies  in  the  land.  The 
King's  Majesty  has  shot  the  bridge  in  his  royal  person." 

"  Well,  I  want  no  delicate  ladies  or  king's  majesties,  (God 
bless  'em,)  in  the  canoe,  in  goi^g  over  these  falls  ;  for  a  boat's 
breadth,  either  way^  may  make  a  drowning  matter  of  it. 
Eau-douce,  we  shall  have  to  carry  the  Serjeant's  brother  over 
Niagara,  yet,  to  show  him  what  may  be  done  on  a  frontier !" 

"  The  devil !  Master  Pathfinder,  you  must  be  joking,  now ! 
Surely  it  is  not  possible  for  a  bark  canoe  to  go  over  that 
mighty  cataract !" 

"  You  never  were  more  mistaken,  Master  Cap,  in  your  life. 
Nothing  is  easier,  and  many  is  the  canoe  I  have  seen  go  over 
it,  with  my  own  eyes,  and,  if  we  both  live,  I  hope  to  satisfy 
you  that  the  feat  can  be  done.  For  my  part,  I  think  the 
largest  ship  that  ever  sailed  on  the  ocean  might  be  carried 
over,  could  she  once  get  into  the  rapids." 

Cap  did  not  perceive  the  wink  which  Pathfinder  exchanged 
with  Eau-douce,  and  he  remained  silent  for  some  time ;  for, 
sooth  to  say,  he  had  never  suspected  the  possibility  of  going 
down  Niagara,  feasible  as  the  thing  must  appear  to  every 
one,  on  a  second  thought,  the  real  difficulty  existing  in  going 
up  it. 

By  this  time,  the  party  had  reached  the  place  where  Jasper 
had  left  his  own  canoe,  concealed  in  the  bushes,  arid  they  all 
re-embarked;  Cap,  Jasper  and  his  niece,  in  one  boat,  and  Path 
finder,  Arrowhead,  and  the  wife  of  the  latter,  in  the  other. 
The  Mohican  had  already  passed  down  the  banks  of  the 
river  by  land,  looking  cautiously  and  with  the  skill  of  his 
people  for  the  signs  of  an  enemy. 

The  cheek  of  Mabel  did  not  recover  all  its  bloom,  until  the 
canoe  was  again  in  the  current,  down  which  it  floated  swiftly, 
occasionally  impelled  by  the  paddle  of  Jasper.  She  wit 
nessed  the  descent  of  the  falls,  with  a  degree  of  terror  that 
had  rendered  her  mute,  but  her  fright  had  not  been  so  great 
as  to  prevent  admiration  of  the  steadiness  of  the  youth,  who 
directed  the  movement,  from  blending  with  the  passing  terror. 
In  truth,  one  much  less  quick  and  sensitive  might  have  had 
her  feelings  awakened  by  the  cool  and  gallant  air  with 
which  Eau-douce  had  accomplished  this  clever  exploit.  Ho 
5 


50  THE    PATHFINDER. 

had  stood  firmly  erect,  notwithstanding  the  plunge;  and  to 
those  who  were  on  the  shore,  it  was  evident  that  by  a  timely 
application  of  his  skill  and  strength,  the  canoe  had  received  a 
sheer  that  alone  carried  it  clear  of  a  rock,  over  which  the 
boiling  water  was  leaping  in  jets  eTeai/, — now  leaving  tho 
brown  stone  visible,  and  now  covering  it  with  a  .Smpid  sheet, 
as  if  machinery  con  rolled  the  play  of  the  element.  The 
tongue  cannot  alwa}  s  express  what  the  eyes  view,  but 
Mabel  saw  enough,  ev^ri  in  that  moment  of  fear,  to  blend 
for  ever  in  her  mind,  the  pictures  presented  by  the  plunging 
canoe,  and  the  unmoved  steersman.  She  admitted  that  insidi 
ous  feeling  which  binds  woman  so  strongly  to  man,  by  feeling 
additional  security  in  finding  herself  under  his  care,  and  for 
the  first  time  since  leaving  Fort  Stanwix,  she  was  entirely  at 
her  ease  in  the  frail  bark  in  which  she  travelled.  As  the 
other  canoe  kept  quite  near  her  own,  however,  and  the  Path 
finder,  by  floating  at  her  side,  was  most  in  view,  the  con 
versation  was  principally  maintained  with  that  person  ;  Jnsper 
seldom  speaking  unless  addressed,  and  constantly  exhibiting 
a  wariness  in  the  management  of  his  own  boat,  that  might 
have  been  remarked  by  one  accustomed  to  his  ordinary  con 
fident,  careless  manner,  had  such  an  observer  been  present 
to  note  what  was  passing. 

"  We  know  too  well  a  woman's  gifts,  to  think  of  carrying 
the  Serjeant's  daughter  over  the  falls,"  said  Pathfinder,  looking 
at  Mabel,  while  he  addressed  her  uncle  ;  "  though  I  've  been 
acquainted  with  some  of  her  sex,  in  these  regions,  that  would 
think  but  little  of  doing  the  thing." 

"  Mabel  is  feint-hearted,  like  her  mother,"  returned  Cap, 
"  and  you  did  well,  friend,  to  humour  her  weakness.  You 
will  remember  the  child  has  never  been  at  sea." 

"  No — no — it  was  easy  to  discover  that,  by  your  own 
fearlessness — any  one  might  have  seen  how  little  you  cared 
about  the  matter !  I  went  over  once  with  a  raw-hand,  and 
he  jumped  out  of  the  canoe,  just  as  it  tipped,  and  you  may 
judge  what  a  time  he  had  of  it !" 

"  What  became  of  the  poor  fellow  ?"  asked  Cap,  scarce 
knowing  how  to  take  the  other's  manner,  which  was  so  dry, 
while  it  was  so  simple,  that  a  less  obtuse  subject  than  the  old 
sailor  might  well  have  suspected  its  sincerity.  "  One  who 
has  passed  the  place  knows  how  to  feel  for  him.  ' 


THE    PATHFINDER.  51 

"  He  was  a  poor  fellow,  as  you  say ;  and  a  poor  frontier 
man,  too,  though  he  came  out  to  show  his  skill  among  us 
ignoranters.  What  became  of  him  1 — Why,  he  went  down 
the  falls  topsy-turvy  like,  as  would  have  happened  to  a  court 
house  or  a  fort." 

"  If  it  should  jump  out  of  a  canoe,"  interrupted  Jasper, 
smiling,  though  he  was  evidently  more  disposed  than  his 
friend  to  let  the  passage  of  the  falls  be  forgotten. 

"  The  boy  is  right,"  rejoined  Pathfinder,  laughing  in 
Mabel's  face,  the  canoes  being  now  so  near  that  they  al 
most  touched ;  "  he  is  sartainly  right.  But  you  have  not 
told  us  what  you  think  of  the  leap  we  took  ?" 

"  It  was  perilous  and  bold,"  said  Mabel ;  "  while  looking 
at  it,  I  could  have  wished  that  it  had  not  been  attempted, 
though,  now  it  is  over,  I  can  admire  its  boldness,  and  the 
steadiness  with  which  it  was  made." 

"  Now,  do  not  think  that  we  did  this  thing,  to  set  ourselves 
off  in  female  eyes.  It  may  be  pleasant  to  the  young  to  win 
each  other's  good  opinions,  by  doing  things  that  may  seem 
praiseworthy  and  bold ;  but  neither  Eau-douce,  nor  myself, 
is  of  that  race.  My  natur,'  though  perhaps  the  Sarpent 
would  be  a  better  witness,  has  few  turns  in  it,  and  is  a 
straight  natur' ;  nor  would  it  be  likely  to  lead  me  into  a 
vanity  of  this  sort,  while  out  on  duty.  As  for  Jasper,  he 
would  sooner  go  over  the  Oswego  falls,  without  a  looker-on, 
than  do  it  before  a  hundred  pair  of  eyes.  I  know  the  lad 
well,  from  use  and  much  consorting,  and  I  am  sure  he  is  not 
boastful  or  vain-glorious." 

Mabel  rewarded  the  scout  with  a  smile,  that  served  to  keep 
the  canoes  together  for  some  time  longer,  for  the  sight  of 
youth  and  beauty  was  so  rare  on  that  remote  frontier,  that 
even  the  rebuked  and  self-mortified  feelings  of  this  wander 
er  of  the  forest,  were  sensibly  touched  by  the  blooming  love 
liness  of  the  girl. 

"  We  did  it  for  the  best,"  Pathfinder  continued ;  "  'twas  all 
for  the  best.  Had  we  waited  to  carry  the  canoe  across  the 
portage,  time  would  have  been  lost,  and  nothing  is  so  precious 
as  time,  when  you  are  mistrustful  of  Mingos." 

"  But  we  can  have  little  to  fear,  now !  The  canoes  move 
swiftly,  and  two  hours,  you  have  said,  will  carry  us  clown  to 
the  fort." 


52  THE  PATHFINDER. 

"  It  shall  be  a  cunning  Iroquois  who  hurts  a  hair  of  youi 
head,  pretty  one,  for  all  here  are  bound  to  the  serjeant,  and 
most,  I  think,  to  yourself,  to  see  you  safe  from  harm.  Ha ! 
Eau-douce ;  what  is  that  in  the  river,  at  the  lower  turn,  yon 
der,  beneath  the  bushes, — I  mean  standing  on  the  rock  ?" 

"  'T  is  the  Big  Serpent,  Pathfinder ;  he  is  making  signs  to 
us,  in  a  way  I  don't  understand." 

"  'Tis  the  Sarpent,  as  sure  as  I  'm  a  white  man,  and  he 
wishes  us  to  drop  in  nearer  to  his  shore.  Mischief  is  brew 
ing,  or  one  of  his  deliberation  and  steadiness  would  never 
take  this  trouble.  Courage,  all !  we  are  men,  and  must  meet 
deviltry  as  becomes  our  colour,  and  our  callings.  Ah !  1 
never  knew  good  come  of  boasting ;  and  here,  just  as  I  was 
vaunting  of  our  safety,  comes  danger  to  give  me  the  lie." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

" Art,  stryving  to  compare 

With  nature,  did  an  arber  greene  dispred, 

Framed  of  wanton  yvie  flowing  fayre, 

Through  which  the  fragrant  eglantines  did  spred.1' 

SPENDER 

THE  Oswego,  below  the  falls,  is  a  more  rapid,  unequal 
stream,  than  it  is  above  them.  There  are  places  where  the 
river  flows  in  the  quiet  stillness  of  deep  water,  but  many 
shoals  and  rapids  occur  ;  and,  at  that  distant  day,  when  every 
thing  was  in  its  natural  state,  some  of  the  passes  were  not 
altogether  without  hazard.  Very  little  exertion  was  required 
on  the  part  of  those  who  managed  the  canoes,  except  in 
those  places  where  the  swiftness  of  the  current,  and  the  pre 
sence  of  the  rocks  required  care ;  when,  indeed,  not  only 
vigilance,  but  great  coolness,  readiness  and  strength  of  arm 
became  necessary,  in  order  to  avoid  the  dangers.  Of  all 
this  the  Mohican  was  aware,  and  he  had  judiciously  selected 
a  spot,  where  the  river  flowed  tranquilly,  to  intercept  the 
canoes,  in  order  to  make  his  communication  without  hazard 
to  those  he  wished  to  speak. 

The  Pathfinder  had  no  sooner  recognised  the  form  of  hu* 


THE  PATHFINDER.  53 

red  friend,  than,  with  a  strong  sweep  of  his  paddle,  he  threw 
the  head  of  his  own  canoe  towards  the  shore,  motioning  for 
Jasper  to  follow.  In  a  minute  both  boats  were  silently  drift 
ing  down  the  stream,  within  reach  of  the  bushes  that  over 
hung  the  water,  all  observing  a  profound  silence ;  some  from 
alarm,  and  others  from  habitual  caution.  As  the  travellers 
drew  nearer  the  Indian,  he  made  a  sign  for  them  to  stop ; 
and  then  he  and  Pathfinder  had  a  short  but  earnest  confer^ 
ence,  in  the  language  of  the  Delawares. 

"  The  chief  is  not  apt  to  see  enemies  in  a  dead  log,"  ob 
served  the  white  man,  to  his  red  associate ;  "  why  does  he 
tell  us  to  stop  ?" 

"  Mingos  are  in  the  woods." 

"  That,  we  have  believed  these  two  days :  does  the  chief 
know  it  ?" 

The  Mohican  quietly  held  up  the  head  of  a  pipe,  formed 
of  stone. 

*'  I*  lay  on  a  fresh  trail  that  led  towards  the  garrison" — 
for  so  it  was  the  usage  of  that  frontier  to  term  a  military 
work,  whether  it  was  occupied  or  not. 

"  That  may  be  the  bowl  of  a  pipe  belonging  to  a  soldier. 
Many  use  the  red-skin  pipes." 

"  See,"  said  the  Big  Serpent,  again  holding  the  thing  he 
had  found  up  to  the  view  of  his  friend. 

The  bowl  of  the  pipe  was  of  soap-stone,  and  it  had  been 
carved  with  great  care,  and  with  a  very  respectable  degree 
of  skill.  In  its  centre  was  a  small  Latin  cross,  made  with 
an  accuracy  that  permitted  no  doubt  of  its  meaning. 

"  That  does  foretell  deviltry  and  wickedness,"  said  the 
Pathfinder,  who  had  all  the  provincial  horror  of  the  holy 
symbol  in  question,  that  then  pervaded  the  country,  and 
which  became  so  incorporated  with  its  prejudices,  by  con 
founding  men  with  things,  as  to  have  left  its  traces  strong 
enough  on  the  moral  feeling  of  the  community,  to  be 
discovered  even  at  the  present  hour ;  "  no  Indian  who  had 
not  been  parvarted  by  the  cunning  priests  of  the  Canadas 
would  dream  of  carving  a  thing  like  that  on  his  pipe  !  I  '11 
warrant  ye,  the  knave  prays  to  the  image  every  time  he 
wishes  to  sarcumvent  the  innocent,  and  work  his  fearful 
wickedness.  It  looks  fresh,  too,  Chingachgook  ?" 

"  The  tobacco  was  burning  when  I  found  it." 
5* 


54  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"  That  is  close  work,  chief —  where  was  the  trail  ?" 

The  Mohican  pointed  to  a  spot  not  a  hundred  yards  dis 
tant  from  that  where  they  stood. 

The  matter  now  began  to  look  very  serious,  and  the  two 
principal  guides  conferred  apart  for  several  minutes,  when 
both  ascended  the  bank,  approached  the  indicated  spot,  and 
examined  the  trail  with  the  utmost  care.  After  this  investi 
gation  had  lasted  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  the  white  man  re 
turned  alone,  his  red  friend  having  disappeared  in  the  forest. 

The  ordinary  expression  of  the  countenance  of  the  Path 
finder,  was  that  of  simplicity,  integrity,  and  sincerity,  blended 
in  an  air  of  self-reliance,  that  usually  gave  great  confidence 
to  those  who  found  themselves  under  his  care  ;  but  now  a 
look  of  concern  cast  a  shade  over  his  honest  face,  that  struck 
the  whole  party. 

"  What  cheer,  Master  Pathfinder  ?"  demanded  Cap,  per 
mitting  a  voice  that  was  usually  deep,  loud  and  confident, 
to  sink  into  the  cautious  tones  that  better  suited  the  dangers 
of  the  wilderness  ;  "  has  the  enemy  got  between  us  and  our 
port?" 

"  Anan?" 

"  Have  any  of  these  painted  scaramouches  anchored  off 
the  harbour  towards  which  we  are  running,  with  the  hope  of 
cutting  us  off  in  entering  ?" 

"  It  may  be  all  as  you  say,  friend  Cap,  but  I  am  none  the 
wiser  for  your  words ;  and,  in  ticklish  times,  the  plainer  a 
man  makes  his  English,  the  easier  he  is  understood.  I 
know  nothing  of  ports  and  anchors,  but  there  is  a  direful 
Mingo  trail  within  a  hundred  yards  of  this  very  spot,  and  as 
fresh  as  venison  without  salt.  If  one  of  the  fiery  devils  has 
passed,  so  have  a  dozen ;  and,  what  is  worse,  they  have 
gone  down  towards  the  garrison,  and  not  a  soul  crosses  the 
clearing  around  it,  that  some  of  their  piercing  eyes  will  not 
discover,  when  sartain  bullets  will  follow." 

"  Cannot  this  said  fort  deliver  a  broadside,  and  clear  every 
thing  within  the  sweep  of  its  hawse  ?" 

"  Nay,  the  forts  this-a-way  are  not  like  forts  in  the  settle 
ments,  and  two  or  three  light  cannon  are  all  they  have  down 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river ;  and  then,  broadsides  fired  at  a 
dozen  out-lying  Mingos,  lying  behind  logs,  and  in  a  forest, 
would  be  powder  spent  in  vain.  We  have  but  one  course, 


THE    PATHFINDER.  55 

and  that  is  a  very  nice  one.  We  are  judgematically  placed 
here,  both  canoes  being  hid  by  the  high  bank  and  the  bushes, 
from  all  eyes,  except  those  of  any  lurker  directly  opposite. 
Here,  then,  we  may  stay,  without  much  present  fear;  but 
how  to  get  the  blood-thirsty  devils  up  the  stream  again  ? — 
Ha — I  have  it — I  have  it — If  it  does  no  good,  it  can  do  no 
harm.  Do  you  see  the  wide-top  chesnut,  here,  Jasper,  at  the 
last  turn  in  the  river  1  On  our  own  side  of  the  stream,  1 
mean  ?" 

"  That  near  the  fallen  pine  V 

"  The  very  same.  Take  the  flint  and  tinder-box,  creep 
along  the  bank,  and  light  a  fire  at  that  spot :  maybe  the 
smoke  will  draw  them  above  us.  In  the  meanwhile,  we  will 
drop  the  canoes  carefully  down  beyond  the  point  below 
and  find  another  shelter.  Bushes  are  plenty,  and  covers  are 
easily  to  be  had  in  this  region,  as  witness  the  many  ambush- 
ments." 

"  I  will  do  it,  Pathfinder,"  said  Jasper,  springing  to  the 
shore.  "  In  ten  minutes  the  fire  shall  be  lighted." 

"  And,  Eau-douce,  use  plenty  of  damp  wood,  this  time," 
half  whispered  the  other,  laughing  heartily,  in  his  own  pe 
culiar  manner,  —  "when  smoke  is  wanted,  water  helps  to 
thicken  it." 

The  young  man,  who  too  well  understood  his  duty  to  de 
lay  unnecessarily,  was  soon  off,  making  his  way  rapidly 
towards  the  desired  point^  A  slight  attempt  of  Mabel  to  ob 
ject  to  the  risk  was  disregarded,  and  the  party  immediately 
prepared  to  change  its  position,  as  it  could  be  seen  from  the 
place  where  Jasper  intended  to  light  his  fire.  The  move 
ment  did  not  require  haste,  and  it  was  made  leisurely,  and 
with  care.  The  canoes  were  got  clear  of  the  bashes  then 
suffered  to  drop  down  with  the  stream,  until  they  reached  the 
spot  where  the  chesnut,  at  the  foot  of  which  Jasper  was  to 
light  the  fire,  was  almost  shut  out  from  view,  when  they 
stopped,  and  every  eye  was  turned  in  the  direction  of  the 
adventurers. 

"  There  goes  the  smoke !"  exclaimed  the  Pathfinder,  as  a 
current  of  ar  whirled  a  little  column  of  the  vapour  from  the 
land,  allowing  it  to  rise  spirally  above  the  bed  of  the  river. 
'  A  good  flint,  a  small  bit  of  steel,  and  plenty  of  dry  leaves, 
make  a  quick  fire !  I  hope  Eau-dc  uce  will  have  the  wit  to 


56  THE    PATHFINDER. 

bethink  him  of  the  damp  wood,  now,  when  it  may  serve  us 
all  a  good  turn." 

"  Too  much  smoke — too  much  cunning,"  said  Arrowhead, 
sententiously. 

"  That  is  gospel  truth,  Tuscarora,  if  the  Mingos  didn't 
know  that  they  are  near  soldiers ;  but  soldiers  commonly 
think  more  of  their  dinner,  at  a  halt,  than  of  their  wisdom 
and  danger.  No,  no ;  let  the  boy  pile  on  his  logs,  and  smoke 
them  well  too ;  it  will  all  be  laid  to  the  stupidity  of  some 
Scotch  or  Irish  blunderer,  who  is  thinking  more  of  his  oat 
meal,  or  his  potatoes,  than  of  Indian  sarcumventions,  or  In 
dian  rifles." 

"Arid  yet  I  should  think,  from  all  we  have  heard  in  the 
towns,  that  the  soldiers  on  this  frontier  are  used  to  the  arti 
fices  of  their  enemies,"  said  Mabel ;  "  and  have  got  to  be 
almost  as  wily  as  the  red-men  themselves." 

"  Not  they — not  they.  Experience  makes  them  but  little 
wiser ;  and  they  wheel,  and  platoon,  and  battalion  it  about, 
here  in  the  forest,  just  as  they  did  in  their  parks  at  home,  of 
which  they  are  all  so  fond  of  talking.  One  red-skin  has 
more  cunning  in  his  natur'  than  a  whole  regiment  from  the 
other  side  of  the  water — that  is,  what  I  call  conning  of  the 
woods.  But  there  is  smoke  enough,  of  all  conscience,  and 
we  had  better  drop  into  another  cover.  The  lad  has  thrown 
the  river  on  his  fire,  and  there  is  danger  that  the  Mingos  will 
believe  a  whole  regiment  is  out." 

While  speaking,  the  Pathfinder  permitted  his  canoe  to 
drift  away  from  the  bush  by  which  it  had  been  retained,  and 
in  a  couple  of  minutes  the  bend  in  the  river  concealed  the 
smoke  and  the  tree.  Fortunately  a  small  indentation  in  the 
shore  presented  itself,  within  a  few  yards  of  the  point  they 
had  just  passed  ;  and  the  two  canoes  glided  into  it,  under  the 
impulsion  of  the  paddles. 

A  better  spot  could  not  have  been  found  for  the  purpose 
of  the  travellers,  than  the  one  they  now  occupied.  The 
bushes  were  thick,  and  overhung  the  water,  forming  a 
complete  canopy  of  leaves.  There  was  a  small  gravelly 
strand  at  the  bottom  of  the  little  bay,  where  most  of  the  party 
landed  to  be  more  at  their  ease,  and  the  only  position  from 
which  they  could  possibly  be  seen,  was  a  point  on  the  river 
directly  opposite.  There  was  little  danger,  however,  of  dis- 


THE  PATHFINDER.  5? 

covery  from  that  -quarter,  as  the  thicket  there  was  even 
denser  thaii  common,  and  the  land  beyond  it  was  so  wet  and 
marshy,  as  to  render  it  difficult  to  he  trodden. 

"  This  is  a  safe  cover,"  said  the  Pathfinder,  after  he  had 
taken  a  scrutinizing  survey  of  his  position  ;  "  but  it  may  be 
necessary  to  make  it  safer.  Master  Cap,  I  ask  nothing  of 
you  but  silence,  and  a  quieting  of  such  gifts  as  you  may 
have  got  at  sea,  while  the  Tuscarora  and  I  make  provision 
for  the  evil  hour." 

The  guide  then  went  a  short  distance  into  the  bushes,  ac 
companied  by  the  Indian,  where  the  two  cut  off  the  larger 
stems  of  several  alders  and  other  bushes,  using  the  utmost 
care  not  to  make  a  noise.  The  ends  of  these  little  trees,  for 
such  in  fact  they  were,  were  forced  into  the  mud,  outside  of 
the  canoes,  the  depth  of  the  water  being  very  trifling ;  and 
in  the  course  of  ten  minutes  a  very  effectual  screen  was  in 
terposed  between  them  and  the  principal  point  of  danger. 
Much  ingenuity  and  readiness  were  manifested  in  making  this 
simple  arrangement,  in  which  the  two  workmen  were  essen 
tially  favoured  by  the  natural  formation  of  the  bank,  the  in 
dentation  in  the  shore,  the  shallowness  of  the  water,  and  the 
mariner  in  which  the  tangled  bushes  dipped  into  the  stream. 
The  Pathfinder  had  the  address  to  look  for  bushes  that  had 
curved  stems,  things  easily  found  in  such  a  place;  and  by  cut 
ting  them  some  distance  beneath  the  bend,  and  permitting 
the  latter  to  touch  the  water,  the  artificial  little  thicket  had 
not  the  appearance  of  growing  in  the  stream,  which  might 
have  excited  suspicion ;  but,  one  passing  it,  would  have 
thought  that  the  bushes  shot  out  horizontally  from  the  bank 
before  they  inclined  upwards  towards  the  light.  In  short, 
the  shelter  was  so  cunningly  devised,  and  so  artfully  pre 
pared,  that  none  but  an  unusually  distrustful  eye  would  have 
been  turned  for  an  instant  towards  the  spot,  in  quest  of  a 
hiding-place. 

"  This  is  the  best  cover  I  ever  yet  got  into,"  said  the  Path 
finder,  with  his  quiet  laugh,  after  having  been  on  the  outside 
to  reconnoitre ;  "  the  leaves  of  our  new  trees  fairly  touch 
those  of  the  bushes  over  our  heads,  and  even  the  painter  who 
has  been  in  the  garrison,  of  late,  could  not  tell  which  belong 
to  Providence,  and  which  are  ours.  Hist ! — yonder  comes 
Eau-douce,  wading,  like  a  sensible  boy,  as  he  is,  to  leave  his 


58  THE    PATHFINDER. 

trail,  in  the  water;  and  we  shall  soon  sec  whether  our  cover 
is  good  for  any  tiling  or  riot." 

Jasper  had,  indeed,  returned  from  his  duty  above,  and 
missing  the  canoes,  he  at  once  inferred  that  they  had  dropped 
round  the  next  bend  in  the  river,  in  order  to  get  out  of  sight 
of  the  fire.  His  habits  of  caution  immediately  suggested  the 
expediency  of  stepping  into  the  water,  in  order  that  there 
might  exist  no  visible  communication  between  the  marks  left 
on  the  shore,  by  the  parry,  and  the  place  where  he  believed 
them  to  have  taken  refuge  below.  Should  the  Canadian  In- 
dians  return  on  their  own  trail,  and  discover  that  made  by 
tin-  Pathfinder  and  the  Serpent,  in  their  ascent  from,  and  de 
scent  to,  the  river,  the  clue  to  their  movements  would  cease 
at  the  shore,  water  leaving  no  prints  of  footsteps.  The  young 
man  had,  therefore,  waded,  knee-deep,  as  far  as  the  point, 
and  was  now  seen  making  his  way  slowly  down  the  margin 
of  the  stream,  searching  curiously  for  the  spot  in  which  the 
canoes  were  hid. 

It  was  in  the  power  of  those  behind  the  bushes,  by  placing 
their  eyes  near  the  leaves,  to  find  many  places  to  look 
through,  while  one  at  a  little  distance  lost  this  advantage;  or, 
even  did  his  sight  happen  to  fall  on  some  small  opening,  the 
bank  and  the  shadows  beyond  prevented  him  from  detecting 
forms  and  outlines  of  .sufficient  dimensions  to  expose  the  fugi 
tives.  It  was  evident  to  those  who  watched  his  motions  from 
behind  their  cover,  and  they  were  all  in  the  canoes,  that  Jas 
per  was  totally  at  a  loss  to  imagine  where  the  Pathfinder  had 
secreted  himself.  When  fairly  round  the  curvature  in  the 
shore,  and  out  of  sight  of  the  fire  he  had  lighted  above,  the 
young  man  stopped  and  began  examining  the  bank  deliber 
ately,  and  with  great  care.  Occasionally,  he  advanced  eight 
or  ten  paces,  and  then  halted  again,  to  renew  the  search. 
The  water  being  much  shoaler  than  common,  he  stepped 
aside,  in  order  to  walk  with  greater  ease  to  himself,  and  came 
so  near  the  artificial  plantation  that  he  might  have  touched  it 
with  his  hand.  Still  he  detected  nothing,  and  was  actually 
passing  the  spot,  when  Pathfinder  made  an  opening  beneath 
the  branches,  and  called  to  him,  .n  a  low  voice,  to  enter. 

"This  is  pretty  well,"  said  the  Pathfinder,  laughing;  "though 
pale-face  eyes  and  red-skin  eyes  are  as  different  as  human 
spy-glasses.  I  would  wager,  with  the  Serjeant's  daughter, 


THE  PATHFINDER.  59 

here,  a  horn  of  powder  against  a  wampum-belt  for  her  gir 
dle,  that  her  father's  rijiment  should  march  by  this  embank 
ment  of  ours,  and  never  find  out  the  fraud  !  But,  if  the 
Mingos  actually  get  down  into  the  bed  of  the  river,  where 
Jasper  passed,  I  should  tremble  for  the  plantation.  It  will 
do,  for  their  eyes,  even  across  the  stream,  however,  and  will 
not  be  without  its  use." 

"Don't  you  think,  Master  Pathfinder,  that  it  would  be 
wisest,  after  all,"  said  Cap,  "  to  get  under  way  at  once,  and 
carry  sail  hard  down  stream,. as  soon  as  we  are  satisfied 
these  rascals  are  fairly  astern  of  us  ?  We  seamen  call  a 
stern  chase  a  long  chase." 

"  I  wouldn't  move  from  this  spot,  until  we  hear  from  the 
Sarpent,  with  the  Serjeant's  pretty  daughter,  here,  in  our  com 
pany,  for  all  the  powder  in  the  magazine  of  the  fort  below  ! 
Sartain  captivity  or  sartain  death  would  follow.  If  a  tender 
fa'n,  such  as  the  maiden  we  have  in  charge,  could  thread  the 
forest  like  old  deer,  it  might,  indeed,  do  to  quit  the  canoes, 
for  by  making  a  circuit,  we  could  reach  the  garrison  be 
fore  morning." 

"  Then  let  it  be  done,"  said  Mabel,  springing  to  her  feet, 
under  the  sudden  impulse  of  awakened  energy.  "  I  am 
young,  active,  used  to  exercise,  and  could  easily  out-walk 
my  dear  uncle.  Let  no  one  think  me  a  hindrance.  I  can 
not  bear  that  all  your  lives  should  be  exposed  on  my  account." 

"  No,  no,  pretty  one ;  we  think  you  anything  but  a  hin 
drance,  or  anything  that  is  unbecoming,  and  would  willingly 
run  twice  this  risk  to  do  you  and  the  honest  serjeant  a  ser 
vice.  Do  I  not  speak  your  mind,  Eau-douce  ?" 

"  To  do  her  a  service !"  said  Jasper,  with  emphasis.  "  No 
thing  shall  tempt  me  to  desert  Mabel  Dunham,  until  she  is 
safe  in  her  father's  arms." 

"  Well  said,  lad ;  bravely  and  honestly  said,  too ;  and  I 
join  in  it,  heart  and  hand.  No,  no ;  you  are  riot  the  first  of 
your  sex  I  have  led  through  the  wilderness,  and  never  but 
once  did  any  harm  befal  any  of  them, — that  was  a  sad  day, 
certainly ;  but  its  like  may  never  come  again !" 

Mabel  looked  from  one  of  her  protectors  to  the  other,  and 
her  fine  eyes  swam  in  tears.  Frankly  placing  a  hand  in 
that  of  each,  she  answered  them,  though  at  first  her  voice 
was  choked, — 


60  THE  PATHFINDER. 

"  1  have  no  right  to  expose  you  on  my  account.  My  dear 
father  will  thank  you — I  thank  you — God  will  reward  you 
— but  let  there  be  no  unnecessary  risk.  I  can  walk  far,  and 
have  often  gone  miles,  on  some  girlish  fancy ;  why  not  now 
exert  myself  for  my  life — nay,  for  your  precious  lives?" 

"  She  is  a  true  dove,  Jasper,"  said  the  Pathfinder,  neither 
relinquishing  the  hand  he  held  until  the  girl  herself,  in  native 
modesty,  saw  fit  to  withdraw  it,  "  and  wonderfully  winning ! 
We  get  to  be  rough,  and  sometimes  even  hard-hearted,  in  the 
woods,  Mabel ;  but  the  sight,  of  one  like  you  brings  us  back 
again  to  our  young  feelings,  and  does  us  good  for  the  remain 
der  of  our  days.  I  dare  say  Jasper,  here,  will  tell  you  the 
same ;  for,  like  me  in  the  forest,  the  lad  sees  but  few  such  as 
yourself,  on  Ontario,  to  soften  his  heart,  and  remind  him  of 
love  for  his  kind.  Speak  out,  now,  Jasper,  and  say  if  it  is 
not  so." 

"  I  question  if  many  like  Mabel  Dunham  are  to  be  found 
anywhere,"  returned  the  young  man  gallantly,  an  honest 
sincerity  glowing  in  his  face,  that  spoke  more  eloquently  than 
his  tongue ;  "  you  need  not  mention  woods  and  lakes  to 
challenge  her  equals,  but  I  would  go  into  the  settlements  and 
towns." 

'*  We  had  better  leave  the  canoes,"  Mabel  hurriedly  rejoin 
ed  ;  "  for  I  feel  it  is  no  longer  safe  to  be  here." 

"  You  can  never  do  it — you  can  never  do  it.  It  would  be 
a  march  of  more  than  twenty  miles,  and  that  too  of  tramping 
over  brush  and  roots,  and  through  swamps,  in  the  dark ;  the 
trail  of  such  a  party  would  be  wide,  and  we  might  have  to 
fight  our  way  into  the  garrison,  after  all.  We  will  wait  for 
the  Mohican." 

Such  appearing  to  be  the  decision  of  him  to  whom  all, 
in  their  present  strait,  looked  up  for  counsel,  no  more  was 
said  on  the  subject.  The  whole  party  now  broke  up  into 
groups ;  Arrowhead  and  his  wife  sitting  apart  under  the 
bushes,  conversing  in  a  low  tone,  though  the  man  spoke 
sternly,  and  the  woman  answered  with  the  subdued  mildness 
that  marks  the  degraded  condition  of  a  savage's  wife.  Path 
finder  and  Cap  occupied  one  canoe,  chatting  of  their  different 
adventures  by  sea  and  land,  while  Jasper  and  Mabel  sat  in 
the  other,  making  greater  progress  in  intimacy  in  a  single 
hour,  than  might  have  been  effected  under  other  circumstances 


THE    PATHFINDER.  61 

in  a  twelvemonth.  Notwithstanding  their  situation  as  regards 
the  enemy,  the  time  flew  by  swiftly,  and  the  young  people, 
in  particular,  were  astonished  when  Cap  informed  them  how 
long  they  had  been  thus  occupied. 

"  If  one  could  smoke,  Master  Pathfinder,"  observed  the 
old  sailor,  "  this  berth  would  be  snug  enough ;  for,  to  give 
the  devil  his  due,  you  "have  got  the  canoes  .handsomely  land 
locked,  and  into  moorings  that  would  defy  a  monsoon.  The 
only  hardship  is  the  denial  of  the  pipe." 

"  The  scent  of  the  tobacco  would  betray  us,  and  where  is 
the  use  of  taking  all  these  precautions  against  the  Mingos' 
eyes,  if  we  are  to  tell  him  where  the  cover  is  to  be  found 
through  the  nose  ?  No — no — deny  your  appetites  ;  deny 
your  appetites,  and  learn  one  virtue  from  a  red-skin,  who 
will  pass  a  week  without  eating  even,  to  get  a  single  scalp. — 
Did  you  hear  nothing,  Jasper  ?" 

"  The  Serpent  is  coming." 

"  Then  let  us  see  if  Mohican  eyes  are  better  than  them  of 
a  lad  who  follows  the  water." 

The  Mohican  had  indeed  made  his  appearance  in  the  same 
direction  as  that  by  which  Jasper  had  rejoined  his  friends. 
Instead  of  coming  directly  on,  however,  no  sooner  did  he 
pass  the  bend,  where  he  was  concealed  from  any  who  might 
be  higher  up  stream,  than  he  moved  close  under  the  bank,  and, 
using  the  utmost  caution,  got  a  position  where  he  could  look 
back,  with  his  person  sufficiently  concealed  by  the  bushes  to 
prevent  its  being  seen  by  any  in  that  quarter. 

"  The  Sarpent  sees  the  knaves  !"  whispered  Pathfinder — 
"  as  I  'm  a  Christian  white  man  they  have  bit  at  the  bait,  and 
have  ambushed  the  smoke  !" 

Here  a  hearty,  but  silent,  laugh,  interrupted  his  words,  and 
nudging  Cap  with  his  elbow,  they  all  continued  to  watch  the 
movements  of  Chingachgook,  in  profound  stillness.  The 
Mohican  remained  stationary  as  the  rock  on  which  he  stood, 
fully  ten  minutes ;  and  then  it  was  apparent  that  something 
of  interest  had  occurred  within  his  view,  for  he  drew  back 
with  a  hurried  manner,  looked  anxiously  and  keenly  along 
the  margin  of  the  stream,  and  moved  quickly  down  it,  taking 
care  to  lose  his  trail  in  the  shallow  water.  He  was  evidently 
in  a  hurry  and  concerned,  now  looking  behind  him,  and  then 
6 


62  THE  PATHFINDER. 

casting  eager  glances  towards  every  spot  on  the  shore,  where 
he  thought  a  canoe  might  be  concealed. 

"  Call  him  in,"  whispered  Jasper,  scarce  able  to  restrain 
his  impatience — "  call  him  in,  or  it  will  be  too  late.  See,  he 
is  actually  passing  us." 

"  Not  so — not  so,  lad  ;  nothing  presses,  depend  on  it,"  re 
turned  his  companion,  "  or  the  Sarpenf  would  begin  to  creep 
The  Lord  help  us,  and  teach  us  wisdom  !  I  do  believe  even 
Chingachgook,  whose  sight  is  as  faithful  as  the  hound's 
scent,  overlooks  us,  and  will  not  find  out  the  ambushment 
we  have  made !" 

This  exultation  was  untimely,  for  the  words  were  no  soon 
er  spoken,  than  the  Indian,  who  had  actually  got  several  feet 
lower  down  the  stream  than  the  artificial  cover,  suddenly 
stopped,  fastened  a  keen  riveted  glance  among  the  transplant 
ed  bushes,  made  a  few  hasty  steps  backward,  and,  bending 
his  body  and  carefully  separating  the  branches,  he  appeared 
among  them. 

"  The  accursed  Mingos !"  said  Pathfinder,  as  soon  as  his 
friend  was  near  enough  to  be  addressed  with  prudence. 

"  Iroquois  ;"  returned  the  sententious  Indian. 

"  No  matter — no  matter — Iroquois — devil — Mingo — Meng- 
wes,  or  furies — all  are  pretty  much  the  same.  I  call  all 
rascals,  Mingos.  Come  hither,  chief,  and  let  us  convarse 
rationally." 

The  two  then  stepped  aside,  and  conversed  earnestly  in 
the  dialect  of  the  Delawares.  When  their  private  commu 
nication  was  over,  Pathfinder  rejoined  the  rest,  and  made 
them  acquainted  with  all  he  had  learned. 

The  Mohican  had  followed  the  trail  of  their  enemies,  some 
distance  towards  the  fort,  until  the  latter  caught  a  sight  of 
the  smoke  of  Jasper's  fire,  when  they  instantly  retraced  their 
steps.  It  now  became  necessary  for  Chingachgook,  who 
ran  the  greatest  risk  of  detection,  to  find  a  cover  where  he 
could  secrete  himself,  until  the  party  might  pass.  It  was, 
perhaps,  fortunate  for  him,  that  the  savages  were  so  intent  on 
this  recent  discovery,  that  they  did  not  bestow  the  ordinary 
attention  on  the  signs  of  the  forest.  At  all  events,  they 
passed  him  swiftly,  fifteen  in  number,  treading  lightly  in 
each  other's  footsteps ;  and  he  was  enabled  again  to  get  into 
their  rear.  After  proceeding  to  the  place  where  the  foot- 


THE    PATHFINDER.  63 

steps  of  Pathfinder  and  the  Mohican  had  joined  the  principal 
trail,  the  Iroquois  had  struck  off  to  the  river,  which  they 
reached  just  as  Jasper  had  disappeared  behind  the  bend  below. 
The  smoke  being  now  in  plain  view,  the  savages  plunged  into 
the  woods,  and  endeavoured  to  approach  the  fire  unseen. 
Ohingachgook  profited  by  this  occasion  to  descend  to  the 
water,  and  to  gain  the  bend  in  the  river  also,  which  he 
thought  had  been  effected  undiscovered.  Here  he  paused, 
as  has  been  stated,  until  he  saw  his  enemies  at  the  fire, 
where  their  stay,  however,  was  very  short. 

Of  the  motives  of  the  Iroquois,  the  Mohican  could  judge 
only  by  their  acts.  He  thought  they  had  detected  the  arti 
fice  of  the  fire,  and  were  aware  that  it  had  been  kindled  with 
a  view  to  mislead  them ;  for,  after  a  hasty  examination  of 
the  spot,  they  had  separated,  some  plunging  again  into  the 
woods,  while  six  or  eight  had  followed  the  footsteps  of  Jas 
per  along  the  shore,  and  came  down  the  stream  towards  the 
place  where  the  canoes  had  landed.  What  course  they 
might  take  on  reaching  that  spot,  was  only  to  be  conjectured, 
for  the  Serpent  had  felt  the  emergency  to  be  too  pressing  to 
delay  looking  for  his  friends  any  longer.  From  some  indi 
cations  that  were  to  be  gathered  from  their  gestures,  how 
ever,  he  thought  it  probable  that  their  enemies  might  follow 
down  in  the  margin  of  the  stream,  but  could  not  be  certain. 

As  the  Pathfinder  related  these  facts  to  his  companions, 
the  professional  feelings  of  the  two  other  white  men  came 
uppermost,  and  both  naturally  reverted  to  their  habits,  in 
quest  of  the  means  of  escape. 

"  Let  us  run  out  the  canoes,  at  once,"  said  Jasper,  eager 
ly  ;  "  the  current  is  strong,  and  by  using  the  paddles  vigor 
ously  we  shall  soon  be  beyond  the  reach  of  these  scoun 
drels  !" 

"  And  this  poo*  flower,  that  first  blossomed  in  the  clear 
ings — shall  it  wither  in  the  forest  ?"  objected  his  friend,  with 
a  poetry  that  he  had  unconsciously  imbibed  by  his  long  asso 
ciation  with  the  Delawares. 

"  We  must  all  die  first,"  answered  the  youth,  a  generous 
colour  mounting  to  his  temples ;  "  Mabel  and  Arrowhead's 
wife  may  lie  down  in  the  canoes,  while  we  do  our  duty,  like 
men,  on  our  feet." 

"  Ay,  you  are  active  at  the  paddle  and  the  oar,  Eau  douce, 


64  THE    PATHFINDER. 

I  will  allow,  but  an  accu  *sed  Mingo  is  more  active,  at  hw 
mischief;  the  canoes  are  swift,  but  a  rifle-bullet  is  swifler.' 

"  It  is  the  business  of  men,  engaged  as  we  have  been,  by 
a  confiding  father,  to  run  this  risk — " 

"But  it  is  not  their  business  to  overlook  prudence." 

"  Prudence  !  a  man  may  carry  his  prudence  so  far  as  tc 
forget  his  courage." 

The  group  was  standing  on  the  narrow  strand,  the  Path 
finder  leaning  on  his  rifle,  the  butt  of  which  rested  on  tho 
gravelly  beach,  while  both  his  hands  clasped  the  barrel,  at 
the  height  of  his  own  shoulders.  As  Jasper  threw  out  this 
severe  and  unmerited  imputation,  the  deep  red  of  his  com 
rade's  face  maintained  its  hue  unchanged,  though  the  young 
man  perceived  that  the  fingers  grasped  the  iron  of  the  gun 
with  the  tenacity  of  a  vice.  Here  all  betrayal  of  emotion 
ceased. 

"  You  are  young,  and  hot-headed,"  returned  Pathfinder, 
with  a  dignity  that  impressed  his  listener  with  a  keen  sense 
of  his  moral  superiority ;  "  but  my  life  has  been  passed  among 
dangers  of  this  sort,  and  my  experience  and  gifts  are  not  to 
be  mastered  by  the  impatience  of  a  boy.  As  for  courage, 
Jasper,  I  will  not  send  back  an  angry  and  unmeaning  word, 
to  meet  an  angry  and  an  unmeaning  word,  for  I  know  that 
you  are  true,  in  your  station  and  according  to  your  know 
ledge  ;  but  take  the  advice  of  one  who  faced  the  Mingos  when 
you  were  a  child,  and  know  that  their  cunning  is  easier  sar- 
cumvented  by  prudence,  than  outwitted  by  foolishness." 

"  I  ask  your  pardon,  Pathfinder,"  said  the  repentant  Jasper, 
eagerly  grasping  the  hand  that  the  other  permitted  him  to 
seize;  "  I  ask  your  pardon,  humbly  and  sincerely.  'Twas  a 
foolish,  as  well  as  wicked  thing  to  hint  of  a  man  whose  heart, 
in  a  good  cause,  is  known  to  be  as  firm  as  the  rocks  on  the 
lake  shore." 

For  the  first  time  the  colour  deepened  on  the  cheek  of  the 
Pathfinder,  and  the  solemn  dignity  that  he  had  assumed, 
under  a  purely  natural  impulse,  disappeared  in  the  expression 
of  the  earnest  simplicity,  that  was  inherent  in  all  his  feelings. 
He  met  the  grasp  of  fiis  young  friend,  with  a  squeeze  as  cor 
dial  as  if  no  chord  had  jarred  between  them,  and  a  slight 
sternness  that  had  gathered  about  his  eye  disappeared  in  » 
look  of  natural  kindness. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  65 

"'Tis  well,  Jasper,  'tis  well,"  he  answered,  laughing,  "I 
bear  no  ill-will,  nor  shall  any  one  in  my  behalf.  My  natur* 
is  that  of  a  white  man  and  that  is  to  bear  no  malice.  It 
might  have  been  ticklish  work  to  have  said  half  as  much  to 
the  Sarpent  here,  though  he  is  a  Delaware — for  colour  will 
have  its  way — " 

A  touch  on  his  shoulder  caused  the  speaker  to  cease. 
Mabel  was  standing  erect  in  the  canoe,  her  light,  but  swelling 
form  bent  forward  in  an  attitude  of  graceful  earnestness,  her 
finger  on  her  lips,  her  head  averted,  the  spirited  eyes  riveted 
on  an  opening  in  the  bushes,  and  one  arm  extended  with  a 
fishing-rod,  the  end  of  which  had  touched  the  Pathfinder. 
The  latter  bowed  his  head  to  a  level  with  a  look-out,  near 
which  he  had  intentionally  kept  himself,  and  then  whispered 
to  Jasper — 

"  The  accursed  Mingos  !  Stand  to  your  arms,  my  men, 
but  lay  quiet  as  the  corpses  of  dead  trees  !" 

Jasper  advanced  rapidly,  but  noiselessly,  to  the  canoe,  and 
with  a  gentle  violence  induced  Mabel  to  place  herself  in  such 
an  attitude  as  concealed  her  entire  body,  though  it  would  have 
probably  exceeded  his  means  to  induce  the  girl  so  far  to  lower 
her  head  that  she  could  not  keep  her  gaze  fastened  on  their 
enemies.  He  then  took  his  own  post  near  her,  with  his  rifle 
cocked  and  poised,  in  readiness  to  fire.  Arrowhead  and 
Chingachgook  crawled  to  the  cover,  and  lay  in  wait  like 
snakes,  with  their  arms  prepared  for  service,  while  the  wife 
of  the  former  bowed  her  head  between  her  knees,  covered  it 
with  her  calico  robe,  and  remained  passive  and  immovable. 
Cap  loosened  both  his  pistols  in  thei-r  belt,  but  seemed  quite 
lit  a  loss  what  course  to  pursue.  The  Pathfinder  did  not  stir. 
He  had  originally  got  a  position  where  he  might  aim  with 
deadly  effect  through  the  leaves,  and  where  he  could  watch  the 
movements  of  his  enemies ;  and  he  was  far  too  steady  to  be 
disconcerted  at  a  moment  so  critical. 

It  was  truly  an  alarming  instant.  Just  as  Mabel  touched 
the  shoulder  of  her  guide,  three  of  the  Iroquois  had  appeared 
in  the  water,  at  the  bend  of  the  river,  within  a  hundred  yards 
of  the  cover,  and  halted  to  examine  the  stream  below.  They 
were  all  naked  to  the  waist,  armed  for  an  expedition  against 
their  foes,  and  in  their  war-paint.  It  was  apparent  that  they 
were  undecided  as  to  the  course  they  ought  to  pursue,  in  order 
6* 


66  THE  PATHFINDER. 

to  find  the  fugitives.  One  pointed  down  the  river,  a  second 
up  the  stream,  and  the  third  towards  the  opposite  bank. 
They  evidently  doubted. 


CHAPTER  V. 

u  Deat .-  is  here,  and  death  is  there, 
Death  is  busy  every  where." 

SHELLEY. 

IT  was  a  breathless  moment.  The  only  clue  the  fugitives 
possessed  to  the  intentions  of  their  pursuers,  was  in  their  ges 
tures,  and  the  indications  that  escaped  them  in  the  fury  of 
disappointment.  That  a  party  had  returned  already,  on  their 
own  footsteps,  by  land,  was  pretty  certain  ;  and  all  the  benefit 
expected  from  the  artifice  of  the  fire  was  necessarily  lost. 
But  that  consideration  became  of  little  moment,  just  then,  for 
the  party  was  menaced  with  an  immediate  discovery,  by  those 
who  had  kept  on  a  level  with  the  river.  All  the  facts  pre 
sented  themselves  clearly,  and  as  it  might  be,  by  intuition,  to 
the  mind  of  Pathfinder,  who  perceived  the  necessity  of  imme 
diate  decision,  and  of  being  in  readiness  to  act  in  concert. 
Without  making  any  noise,  therefore,  he  managed  to  get  the 
two  Indians  and  Jasper  near  him,  when  he  opened  his  com 
munications  in  a  whisper. 

s  "  We  must  be  ready — we  must  be  ready,"  he  said.  "  There 
are  but  three  of  the  scalping  devils,  and  we  are  five,  four  of 
whom  may  be  set  down  as  manful  warriors  for  such  a  skrim- 
mage.  Eau-douce,  do  you  take  the  fellow  that  is  painted 
like  death  ;  Chingachgook,  I  give  you  the  chief;  arid  Arrow 
head  must  keep  his  eye  on  the  young  one.  There  must  be 
no  mistake ;  for  two  bullets  in  the  same  body  would  be  sinful 
waste,  with  one  like  the  Serjeant's  daughter  in  danger.  I 
shall  hold  myself  in  resarve  against  accident,  lest  a  fourth 
reptyle  appear,  for  one  of  your  hands  may  prove  unsteady. 
By  no  means  fire  until  I  give  the  word ;  we  must  not  let  the 
crack  of  the  rifle  be  heard  except  in  the  last  resort,  since  alJ 
the  rest  of  the  miscreants  are  still  within  hearing.  Jasper, 
boy,  in  case  of  any  movement  behind  us,  on  the  bank,  I  trust 


THE  PATHFINDER.  67 

to  you  to  run  out  the  canoe,  with  the  serjeanf  s  daughter,  and 
to  pull  for  the  garrison,  by  God's  leave." 

The  Pathfinder  had  no  sooner  given  these  directions  than 
the  near  approach  of  their  enemies,  rendered  profound  silence 
necessary.  The  Iroquois  in  the  river  were  slowly  descending 
the  stream,  keepiug  of  necessity  near  the  bushes  that  overhung 
the  water,  while  the  rustling  of  leaves  and  the  snapping  of 
twigs  soon  gave  fearful  evidence  that  another  party  was  mov 
ing  along  the  bank  at  an  equally  graduated  pace,  and  directly 
abreast  of  them.  In  consequence  of  the  distance  between 
the  bushes  planted  by  the  fugitives  and  the  true  shore,  the 
two  parties  became  visible  to  each  other,  when  opposite  that 
precise  point.  Both  stopped,  and  a  conversation  ensued, 
that  may  be  said  to  have  passed  directly  over  the  heads  of 
those  who  were  concealed.  Indeed  nothing  sheltered  the 
travellers,  but  the  branches  and  leaves  of  plants  so  pliant, 
that  they  yielded  to  every  current  of  air,  and  which  a  puff  of 
wind,  a  little  stronger  than  common,  would  have  blown  away. 
Fortunately  the  line  of  sight,  carried  the  eyes  of  the  two  par 
ties  of  savages,  whether  they  stood  in  the  water,  or  on  the 
land,  above  the  bushes ;  and  the  leaves  appeared  blended  in  a 
way  to  excite  no  suspicion.  Perhaps  the  very  boldness  of 
the  expedient  alone  prevented  an  immediate  exposure.  The 
conversation  that  took  place  was  conducted  earnestly,  but  in 
guarded  tones,  as  if  those  who  spoke  wished  to  defeat  the 
intentions  of  any  listeners.  It  was  in  a  dialect  that  both  the 
Indian  warriors  beneath,  as  well  as  the  Pathfinder,  under 
stood.  Even  Jasper  comprehended  a  portion  of  what  was 
said. 

"  The  trail  is  washed  away  by  the  water !"  said  one  from 
below,  who  stood  so  near  the  artificial  cover  of  the  fugitives, 
that  he  might  have  been  struck  by  the  salmon-spear  that  lay 
in  the  bottom  of  Jasper's  canoe.  "  Water  has  washed  it  so 
clear,  that  a  Yengeese  hound  could  not  follow." 

"  The  pale-faces  have  left  the  shore,  in  their  canoes,"  an 
swered  the  speaker  on  the  bank. 

"  It  cannot  be.  The  rifles  of  our  warriors  below,  are 
certain." 

The  Pathfinder  gave  a  significant  glance  at  Jasper,  and  he 
clenched  his  teeth  in  order  to  suppress  the  sound  of  his  own 
breathing. 


68  THE    PATHFINDER. 

**  Let  my  young  men  look  as  if  their  eyes  were  eagles', 
said  the  eldest  warrior  among  those  who  were  wading  in  the 
river.    "  We  have  been  a  whole  moon  on  the  war-path,  and 
have  found  but  one  scalp.     There  is  a  maiden  among  them, 
and  some  of  our  braves  want  wives." 

Happily  these  words  were  lost  on  Mabel,  but  Jasper's 
frown  became  deeper,  and  his  face  fiercely  flushed. 

The  savages  now  ceased  speaking,  and  the  party  that  was 
concealed  heard  the  slow  and  guarded  movements  of  those 
who  were  on  the  bank,  as  they  pushed  the  bushes  aside  in 
their  wary  progress.  It  was  soon  evident  that  the  latter  had 
passed  the  cover;  but  the  group  in  the  water  still  remained, 
scanning  the  shore,  with  eyes  that  glared  through  their  war 
paint,  like  coals  of  living  lire.  After  a  pause  of  two  or  three 
minutes,  these  three  began  also  to  descend  the  stream,  though 
't  was  step  by  step,  as  men  move  who  look  for  an  object  that 
has  been  lost.  In  this  manner  they  passed  the  artificial 
screen,  and  Pathfinder  opened  his  mouth,  in  that  hearty  but 
noiseless  laugh,  that  nature  and  habit  had  contributed  to  ren 
der  a  peculiarity  of  the  man.  His  triumph,  however,  was 
premature ;  for  the  last  of  the  retiring  party,  just  at  this  mo 
ment  casting  a  look  behind  him,  suddenly  stopped  ;  and  his 
fixed  attitude  and  steady  gaze  at  once  betrayed  the  appalling 
fact  that  some  neglected  bush  had  awakened  his  suspicions. 

It  was,  perhaps,  fortunate  for  the  concealed,  that  the  war 
rior  who  manifested  these  fearful  signs  of  distrust  was  young, 
and  had  still  a  reputation  to  acquire.  He  knew  the  impor 
tance  of  discretion  and  modesty  in  one  of  his  years,  and 
most  of  all  did  he  dread  the  ridicule  and  contempt  that  would 
certainly  follow  a  false  alarm.  Without  recalling  any  of  his 
companions,  therefore,  he  turned  on  his  own  footsteps,  and 
while  the  others  continued  to  descend  the  river,  he  cautiously 
approached  the  bushes,  on  which  his  looks  were  still  fastened, 
as  by  a  charm.  Some  of  the  leaves  which  were  exposed  to 
the  sun  had  drooped  a  little,  and  this  slight  departure  from 
the  usual  natural  laws,  had  caught  the  quick  eyes  of  the  In 
dian  ;  for  so  practised  and  acute  do  the  senses  of  the  savage 
become,  more  especially  when  he  is  on  the  war-path,  that 
trifles  apparently  of  the  most  insignificant  sort,  often  prove 
to  be  clues  to  lead  him  to  his  object. 

Ths  trifling  nature  of  the  change  which  had  aroused  the 


THE    PATHFINDER.  69 

suspicion  of  this  youth,  was  an  additional  motive  for  not  ac 
quainting  his  companions  with  his  discovery.  Should  he 
really  detect  anything,  his  glory  would  be  the  greater  for 
being  unshared ;  arid  should  he  not,  he  might  hope  to  escape 
that  derision  which  the  young  Indian  so  much  dreads.  Then 
there  were  the  dangers  of  an  ambush  and  a  surprise,  to 
which  every  warrior  of  the  woods  is  keenly  alive,  to 
render  his  approach  slow  and  cautious.  In  consequence  of 
the  delay  that  proceeded  from  these  combined  causes,  the  two 
parties  had  descended  some  fifty  or  sixty  yards  before  the 
young  savage  was  again  near  enough  to  the  bushes  of  the 
Pathfinder  to  touch  them  with  his  hand. 

Notwithstanding  their  critical  situation,  the  whole  party 
behind  the  cover  had  their  eyes  fastened  on  the  working 
countenance  of  the  young  Iroquois,  who  was  agitated  by 
conflicting  feelings.  First  came  the  eager  hope  of  obtaining 
success,  where  some  of  the  most  experienced  of  his  tribe  had 
failed,  and  with  it  a  degree  of  glory  that  had  seldom  fallen 
to  the  share  of  one  of  his  years,  or  a  brave  on  his  first  war 
path  ;  then  followed  doubts,  as  the  drooping  leaves  seemed 
to  rise  again,  and  to  revive  in  the  currents  of  air ;  and  dis 
trust  of  hidden  danger  lent  its  exciting  feeling  to  keep  the 
eloquent  features  in  play.  So  very  slight,  however,  had  been 
the  alteration  produced  by  the  heat  on  bushes  of  which  the 
stems  were  in  the  water,  that  when  the  Iroquois  actually  laid 
his  hand  on  the  leaves,  he  fancied  that  he  had  been  deceived. 
As  no  man  ever  distrusts  strongly,  without  using  all  conve 
nient  means  of  satisfying  his  doubts,  however,  the  young 
warrior  cautiously  pushed  aside  the  branches,  and  advanced 
a  step  within  the  hiding-place,  when  the  forms  of  the  con 
cealed  party  met  his  gaze,  resembling  so  many  breathless 
statues.  The  low  exclamation,  the  slight  start,  and  the 
glaring  eye,  were  hardly  seen  and  heard,  before  the  arm  of 
Chingachgook  was  raised,  and  the  tomahawk  of  the  Delaware 
descended  on  the  shaven  head  of  his  foe.  The  Iroquois 
raised  his  hands  frantically,  bounded  backward,  and  fell  into 
the  water,  at  a  spot  where  the  current  swept  the  body  away, 
the  struggling  limbs  still  tossing  and  writhing  in  the  agony 
of  death.  The  Delaware  made  a  vigorous  but  unsuccessful 
attempt  to  seize  an  arm,  with  the  hope  of  securing  the  scalp ; 


70  THE   PATHFINDER. 

but  the  blood-stained  waters  whirled  down  the  current,  car- 
lying  with  them  their  quivering  burthen. 

All  this  passed  in  less  than  a  minute ;  and  the  events  were 
«o  sudden  and  unexpected,  that  men  less  accustomed  than 
Jie  Pathfinder  and  his  associates  to  forest  warfare,  would 
lave  been  at  a  loss  how  to  act. 

"  There  is  not  a  moment  to  lose,"  said  Jasper,  tearing 
aside  the  bushes,  as  he  spoke  earnestly,  but  in  a  suppressed 
voice.  "  Do  as  I  do,  Master  Cap,  if  you  would  save  your 
niece ;  and  you,  Mabel,  lie  at  your  length  in  the  canoe." 

The  words  were  scarcely  uttered,  when,  seizing  the  bow 
of  the  light  boat,  he  dragged  it  along  the  shore,  wading  him 
self  while  Cap  aided  behind,  keeping  so  near  the  bank  as  to 
avoid  being  seen  by  the  savages  below,  and  striving  to  gain 
the  turn  in  the  river  above  him,  which  would  effectually  con 
ceal  the  party  from  the  enemy.  The  Pathfinder's  canoe  lay 
nearest  to  the  bank,  and  it  was  necessarily  the  last  to  quit 
the  shore.  The  Delaware  leaped  on  the  narrow  strand,  and 
plunged  into  the  forest,  it  being  his  assigned  duty  to  watch 
the  foe  in  that  quarter,  while  Arrowhead  motioned  to  his 
white  companion  to  seize  the  bow  of  the  boat,  and  to  follow 
Jasper.  All  this  was  the  work  of  an  instant.  But  when  th0 
Pathfinder  reached  the  current,  that  was  sweeping  round  the 
turn,  he  felt  a  sudden  change  in  the  weight  he  was  dragging, 
and  looking  back  he  found  that  both  the  Tuscarora  and  his 
wife  had  deserted  him.  The  thought  of  treachery  flashed 
upon  his  mind,  but  there  was  no  time  to  pause ;  for  the  wail 
ing  shout  that  arose  from  the  party  below,  proclaimed  that 
the  body  of  the  young  Iroquois  had  floated  as  low  as  the 
spot  reached  by  his  friends.  The  report  of  a  rifle  followed  ; 
and  then  the  guide  saw  that  Jasper,  having  doubled  the  bend 
in  the  river,  was  crossing  the  stream,  standing  erect,  in  the 
stern  of  the  canoe,  while  Cap  was  seated  forward,  both  pro 
pelling  the  light  boat  with  vigorous  strokes  of  the  paddles.  A 
glance,  a  thought,  and  an  expedient  followed  each  other  quick 
ly,  in  one  so  trained  in  the  vicissitudes  of  the  frontier  warfare. 
Springing  into  the  stern  of  his  own  canoe,  he  urged  it  by  a 
vigorous  shove  into  the  current,  and  commenced  crossing  the 
stream  himself,  at  a  point  so  much  lower  than  that  of  his 
companions,  as  to  offer  his  own  person  for  a  target  to  th*» 


THE  PATHFINDER.  71 

enemy,  well  knowing  that  their  keen  desire  to  secure  a  scalp 
would  control  all  other  feelings. 

"  Keep  well  up  the  current,  Jasper,"  shouted  the  gallant 
guide,  as  he  swept  the  water  with  long,  steady,  vigorous 
strokes  of  the  paddle — "  keep  well  up  the  current,  and  pull 
for  the  alder  bushes  opposite.  Presarve  the  Serjeant's  daugh 
ter,  before  all  things,  and  leave  these  Mingo  knaves  to  the 
Sarr-ent  and  me." 

Jasper  flourished  his  paddle,  as  a  signal  of  understand 
ing,  while  shot  succeeded  shot  in  quick  succession,  all  now 
being  aimed  at  the  solitary  man  in  the  nearest  canoe. 

"  Ay,  empty  your  rifles,  like  simpletons,  as  you  are,"  said 
the  Pathfinder,  who  had  acquired  a  habit  of  speaking  when 
alone,  from  passing  so  much  of  his  time  in  the  solitude  of 
the  forest ;  "  empty  your  rifles,  with  an  unsteady  aim,  and 
give  me  time  to  put  yard  upon  yard  of  river  between  us.  I 
will  not  revile  you,  like  a  Delaware,  or  a  Mohican,  for  my 
gifts  are  a  white  man's  gifts,  and  not  an  Indian's ;  and  boast 
ing  in  battle  is  no  part  of  a  Christian  warrior  ;  but  I  may  say, 
here,  all  alone  by  myself,  that  you  are  little  better  than  so 
many  men  from  the  town,  shooting  at  robins  in  the  orchards ! 
That  was  well  meant,"  throwing  back  his  head,  as  a  rifle- 
bullet  cut  a  lock  of  hair  from  his  temple — "  but  the  lead  that 
misses  by  an  inch,  is  as  useless  as  the  lead  that  never  quits 
the  barrel.  Bravely  done,  Jasper  !  the  Serjeant's  sweet  child 
must  be  saved,  even  if  we  go  in  without  our  own  scalps." 

By  this  time  the  Pathfinder  was  in  the  centre  of  the  river, 
and  almost  abreast  of  his  enemies,  while  the  other  canoe, 
impelled  by  the  vigorous  arms  of  Cap  and  Jasper,  had  nearly 
gained  the  opposite  shore  at  the  precise  spot  that  had  been 
pointed  out  to  them.  The  old  mariner  now  played  his  part 
manfully  ;  for  he  was  on  his  proper  element,  loved  his  niece 
sincerely,  had  a  proper  regard  for  his  own  person,  and  was 
not  unused  to  fire,  though  his  experience  certainly  lay  in  a 
very  different  species  of  warfare.  A  few  strokes  of  the  pad 
dles  were  given,  and  the  canoe  shot  into  the  bushes,  Mabel 
was  hurried  to  land  by  Jasper,  and,  for  the  present,  all  three 
of  the  fugitives  were  safe. 

Not  so  with  the  Pathfinder.  His  hardy  self-devotion  had 
brought  him  into  a  situation  of  unusual  exposure,  the  hazards 
of  which  were  much  increased,  by  the  fact  that  just  as  he 


72  THE    PATHFINDER. 

drifted  nearest  to  the  enemy,  the  party  on  the  shore  rushed 
down  the  bank,  and  joined  their  friends  who  still  stood  in  the 
water.  The  Oswego  was  about  a  cable's  length  in  width  at 
this  point,  and  the  canoe  being  in  the  centre,  the  object  was 
only  a  hundred  yards  from  the  rifles,  that  were  constantly 
discharged  at  it ;  or,  at  the  usual  target  distance  for  that 
weapon. 

In  this  extremity  the  steadiness  and  skill  of  the  Pathfinder 
did  him  good  service.  He  knew  that  his  safety  depended 
altogether  on  keeping  in  motion ;  for  a  stationary  object,  at 
that  distance,  would  have  been  hit  nearly  every  shot.  Nor 
was  motion  of  itself  sufficient ;  for,  accustomed  to  kill  the 
bounding  deer,  his  enemies  probably  knew  how  to  vary  the 
line  of  aim  so  as  to  strike  him,  should  he  continue  to  move 
in  any  one  direction.  He  was  consequently  compelled  to 
change  the  course  of  the  canoe,  at  one  moment  shooting 
down  with  the  current,  with  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow,  and 
at  the  next  checking  its  progress  in  that  direction,  to  glance 
athwart  the  stream.  Luckily  the  Iroquois  could  not  reload 
their  pieces  in  the  water,  and  the  bushes  that  everywhere 
fringed  the  shore,  rendered  it  difficult  to  keep  the  fugitive  in 
view,  when  on  the  land.  Aided  by  these  circumstances,  and 
having  received  the  fire  of  all  his  foes,  the  Pathfinder  was 
gaining  fast  in  distance,  both  downwards  and  across  the  cur 
rent,  when  a  new  danger  suddenly,  if  not  unexpectedly,  pre 
sented  itself,  by  the  appearance  of  the  party  that  had  been 
left  in  ambush  below,  with  a  view  to  watch  the  river. 

These  were  the  savages  alluded  to  in  the  short  dialogue 
that  has  been  already  related.  They  were  no  less  than  ten  in 
number,  and  understanding  all  the  advantages  of  their  bloody 
occupation,  they  had  posted  themselves  at  a  spot  where  the 
water  dashed  among  rocks  and  over  shallows,  in  a  way  to 
form  a  rapid,  which,  in  the  language  of  the  country,  is  call 
ed  a  rift.  The  Pathfinder  saw  that  if  he  entered  this  rift,  he 
should  be  compelled  to  approach  a  point  where  the  Iroquois 
had  posted  themselves,  for  the  current  was  irresistible,  and 
the  rocks  allowed  no  other  safe  passage,  while  death  or  cap 
tivity  would  be  the  probable  result  of  the  attempt.  All  his 
efforts,  therefore,  were  turned  towards  reaching  the  western 
shore,  the  foe  being  all  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  river.  But 
the  exploit  surpassed  human  power,  and  to  attempt  to  stem 


THE    PA1HF1NDER.  73 

the  stream,  would  at  once  have  so  far  diminished  the  motion 
of  the  canoe,  as  to  render  aim  certain.  In  this  exigency  the 
guide  came  to  a  decision  with  his  usual  cool  promptitude, 
making  his  preparations  accordingly.  Instead  of  endeavour 
ing  to  gain  the  channel,  he  steered  towards  the  shallowest 
part  of  the  stream,  on  reaching  which,  he  seized  his  rifle  and 
pack,  leaped  into  the  water,  and  began  to  wade  from  rock  to 
rock,  taking  the  direction  of  the  western  shore.  The  canoe 
whirled  about  in  the  furious  current,  now  rolling  over  some 
slippery  stone,  now  filling,  and  then  emptying  itself,  until  it 
lodged  on  the  shore,  within  a  few  yards  of  the  spot  where 
the  Iroquois  had  posted  themselves. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  Pathfinder  was  far  from  being  out 
of  danger :  for  the  first  minute,  admiration  of  his  promptitude 
and  daring,  which  are  so  high  virtues  in  the  mind  of  an  In 
dian,  kept  his  enemies  motionless ;  but  the  desire  of  revenge, 
and  the  cravings  for  the  much-prized  trophy,  soon  overcame 
this  transient  feeling,  and  aroused  them  from  their  stupor. 
Rifle  flashed  after  rifle,  and  the  bullets  whistled  around  the 
head  of  the  fugitive,  amid  the  roar  of  the  waters.  Still  he 
proceeded  like  one  who  bore  a  charmed  life,  for  while  his 
rude  frontier  garments  were  more  than  once  cut,  his  skin 
was  not  razed. 

As  the  Pathfinder,  in  several  instances,  was  compelled  to 
wade  in  water  that  rose  nearly  to  his  arms,  while  he  kept  his 
rifle  and  ammunition  elevated  above  the  raging  current,  the 
toil  soon  fatigued  him,  and  he  was  glad  to  stop  at  a  large 
stone,  or  a  small  rock,  which  rose  so  high  above  the  river, 
that  its  upper  surface  was  dry.  On  this  stone  he  placed  his 
powder-horn,  getting  behind  it  himself,  so  as  to  have  the  ad 
vantage  of  a  partial  cover  for  his  body.  The  western  shore 
was  only  fifty  feet  distant,  but  the  quiet,  swift,  dark  current 
that  glanced  through  the  interval,  sufficiently  showed  that 
here  he  would  be  compelled  to  swim. 

A  short  cessation  in  the  firing  now  took  place  on  the  part 
of  the  Indians,  who  gathered  about  the  canoe,  and,  having 
found  the  paddles,  were  preparing  to  cross  the  river. 

"  Pathfinder,"  called  a  voice  from  among  the  bushes,  at 
the  point  nearest  to  the  person  addressed,  on  the  western 
shore. 

*-*  What  would  you  have,  Jasper  ?" 


74  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"  Be  of  good  heart — friends  are  at  hand,  and  not  a  single 
Mingo  shall  cross  without  suffering  for  his  boldness.  Had 
you  not  better  leave  the  rifle  on  the  rock,  and  swim  to  us 
before  the  rascals  can  get  afloat  ?" 

"  A  true  woodsman  never  quits  his  piece,  while  he  has  any 
powder  in  his  horn,  or  a  bullet  in  his  pouch.  I  have  not 
drawn  a  trigger  this  day,  Eau-douce,  and  shouldn't  relish  the 
idea  of  parting  with  those  reptyles,  without  causing  them  to 
remember  my  name.  A  little  water  will  not  harm  my  legs ; 
and  I  see  that  blackguard,  Arrowhead,  among  the  scamps, 
and  wish  to  send  him  the  wages  he  has  so  faithfully  earned. 
You  have  not  brought  the  Serjeant's  daughter  down  here  in 
a  range  with  their  bullets,  I  hope,  Jasper  !" 

"  She  is  safe,  for  the  present  at  least ;  though  all  depends 
on  our  keeping  the  river  between  us  and  the  enemy.  They 
must  know  our  weakness,  now ;  and  should  they  cross,  no 
doubt  some  of  their  party  will  be  left  on  the  other  side." 

"  This  canoeing  touches  your  gifts  rather  than  mine,  boy, 
though  I  will  handle  a  paddle  with  the  best  Mingo  that  ever 
struck  a  salmon.  If  they  cross  below  the  rift,  why  can't  we 
cross  in  the  still  water  above,  and  keep  playing  at  dodge  and 
turn  with  the  wolves  ?" 

"Because,  as  I  have  said,  they  will  leave  a  party  on  the 
other  shore — and  then,  Pathfinder,  would  you  expose  Mabel 
to  the  rifles  of  the  Iroquois  ?" 

"  The  Serjeant's  daughter  must  be  saved,"  returned  the 
guide,  with  calm  energy.  "  You  are  right,  Jasper  ;  she  has 
no  gift  to  authorize  her  in  offering  her  sweet  face  and  tender 
body  to  a  Mingo  rifle.  What  can  be  done  then?  They 
must  be  kept  from  crossing  for  an  hour  or  two,  if  possible, 
when  we  must  do  our  best  in  the  darkness." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  Pathfinder,  if  it  can  be  effected ;  but 
are  we  strong  enough  for  such  a  purpose  ?" 

"  The  Lord  is  with  us,  boy — the  Lord  is  with  us  ;  and  it 
is  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  one  like  the  Serjeant's  daugh 
ter  will  be  altogether  abandoned  by  Providence,  in  such  a 
strait.  There  is  not  a  boat  between  the  falls  and  the  garri 
son,  except  these  two  canoes,  to  my  sartain  knowledge  ;  and 
1  think  it  will  go  beyond  red-skin  gifts  to  cross  in  the  face 
of  two  rifles,  like  these  of  yourn  and  mine.  I  will  not  vaunt, 


THE  PATHFINDER.  75 

Jasper,  but  it  is  well  known  on  alt  this  frontier  that  Killdeer 
seldom  fails." 

"  Your  skill  is  admitted  by  all,  far  and  near,  Pathfinder  ; 
but  a  rifle  takes  time  to  be  loaded ;  nor  are  you  on  the  land, 
aided  by  a  good  cover,  where  you  can  work  to  the  advantage 
you  are  used  to.  If  you  had  our  canoe,  might  you  not  pass 
to  the  shore  with  a  dry  rifle  ?" 

"  Can  an  eagle  fly,  Jasper?"  returned  the  other,  laughing, 
in  his  usual  manner,  and  looking  back  as  he  spoke.  "  But  it 
would  be  unwise  to  expose  yourself  on  the  water,  for  them 
miscreants  are  beginning  to  bethink  them  again  of  powder 
and  bullets." 

"  It  can  be  done  without  any  such  chances.  Master  Cap 
has  gone  up  to  the  canoe,  and  will  cast  the  branch  of  a  tree 
into  the  river  to  try  the  current,  which  sets  from  the  point 
above  in  the  direction  of  your  rock.  See,  there  it  comes 
already ;  if  it  float  fairly,  you  must  raise  your  arm,  when 
the  canoe  will  follow.  At  all  events,  if  the  boat  should  pass 
you,  the  eddy  below  will  bring  it  up,  and  I  can  recover  it." 

While  Jasper  was  still  speaking,  the  floating  branch  came 
in  sight,  and  quickening  its  progress  with  the  increasing 
velocity  of  the  current,  it  swept  swiftly  down  towards  the 
Pathfinder,  who  seized  it  as  it  was  passing,  and  held  it  in  the 
air,  as  a  sign  of  success.  Cap  understood  the  signal,  and 
presently  the  canoe  was  launched  into  the  stream,  with  a 
caution  and  an  intelligence  that  the  habits  of  the  mariner  had 
fitted  him  to  observe.  It  floated  in  the  same  direction  as  the 
branch,  and  in  a  minute  was  arrested  by  the  Pathfinder. 

"  This  has  been  done  with  a  frontier  man's  judgment, 
Jasper,"  said  the  guide,  laughing ;  "  but  you  have  your  gifts, 
which  incline  most  to  the  water,  as  mine  incline  to  the  woods. 
Now,  let  them  Mingo  knaves  cock  their  rifles  and  get  rests, 
for  this  is  the  last  chance  they  are  likely  to  have  at  a  man 
without  a  cover." 

"  Nay,  shove  the  canoe  towards  the  shore,  quartering  the 
current,  and  throw  yourself  into  it  as  it  goes  off,"  said  Jas 
per,  eagerly.  "  There  is  little  use  in  running  any  risk." 

"  I  love  to  stand  up  face  to  face  with  my  enemies  like  a 
man,  while  they  set  me  the  example,"  returned  the  Path 
finder,  proudly.  "  I  am  not  a  red-skin  born,  and  it  is  more 


76  THE    PATHFINDER. 

a  white  man's  gifts  to  fight  openly,  than  to  lie  in  anibuai, 
ment." 

"And  Mabel?' 

"  True,  boy,  true — the  Serjeant's  daughter  must  be  saved ; 
and,  as  you  say,  foolish  risks  only  become  boys.  Think 
you  that  you  can  catch  the  canoe  where  you  stand  ?" 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt,  if  you  give  a  vigorous  push." 

Pathfinder  made  the  necessary  effort,  the  light  bark  shot 
across  the  intervening  space,  and  Jasper  seized  it  as  it  came 
to  land.  To  secure  the  canoe,  and  to  take  proper  positions 
in  the  cover,  occupied  the  friends  but  a  moment,  when  they 
shook  hands  cordially,  like  those  who  had  met  after  a  long 
separation. 

"  Now,  Jasper,  we  shall  see  if  a  Mingo  of  them  all  .dare 
cross  the  Oswego  in  the  teeth  of  Killdeer  !  You  are  handier 
with  the  oar,  and  the  paddle,  and  the  sail,  than  with  the  rifle, 
perhaps ;  but  you  have  a  stout  heart,  and  a  steady  hand,  and 
them  are  things  that  count,  in  a  fight." 

"  Mabel  will  find  me  between  her  and  her  enemies,"  said 
Jasper,  calmly. 

"  Yes,  yes,  the  Serjeant's  daughter  must  be  protected.  I 
like  you,  boy,  on  your  own  account,  but  I  like  you  all  the 
better  that  you  think  of  one  so  feeble,  at  a  moment  when 
there  is  need  of  all  your  manhood.  See,  Jasper ;  three  of 
the  knaves  are  actually  getting  into  the  canoe  !  They  must 
believe  we  have  fled,  or  they  would  not  surely  venture  so 
much,  directly  in  the  very  face  of  Killdeer !" 

Sure  enough,  the  Iroquois  did  appear  bent  on  venturing 
across  the  stream,  for,  as  the  Pathfinder  and  his  friends  now 
kept  their  persons  strictly  concealed,  their  enemies  began  to 
think  that  the  latter  had  taken  to  flight.  Such  a  course  was 
that  which  most  white  men  would  have  followed ;  but  Mabel 
was  under  the  care  of  those  who  were  much  too  well  skilled 
in  forest  warfare,  to  neglect  to  defend  the  only  pass,  that,  in 
truth,  now  offered  even  a  probable  chance  for  protection. 

As  the  Pathfinder  had  said,  three  warriors  were  in  the 
canoe,  two  holding  their  rifles  at  a  poise,  as  they  knelt  in 
readiness  to  aim  the  deadly  weapons,  and  the  other  standing 
erect  in  the  stern  to  wield  the  paddle.  In  this  manner  they 
left  the  shore,  having  had  the  precaution  to  haul  the  canoe, 
previously  to  entering  it,  so  far  up  the  stream,  as  to  have  got 


THE    PATHFINDER.  77 

into  the  comparatively  still  water  above  the  rift.  It  was  ap 
parent,  at  a  glance,  that  the  savage  who  guided  the  boat  was 
skilled  in  the  art,  for  the  long  steady  sweep  of  his  paddle 
sent  the  light  bark  over  the  glassy  surface  of  the  tranquil 
river,  as  if  it  were  a  feather  floating  in  air. 

"  Shall  I  fire  ?"  demanded  Jasper,  in  a  whisper,  trembling 
with  eagerness  to  engage. 

"  Not  yet,  boy  ;  not  yet.  There  are  but  three  of  them, 
and  if  Master  Cap,  yonder,  knows  how  to  use  the  pop-guns 
he  carries  in  his  belt,  we  may  even  let  them  land,  and  then 
we  shall  recover  the  canoe." 

" But  Mabel?— " 

"  No  fear  for  the  Serjeant's  daughter.  She  is  safe,  in  the 
hollow  stump  you  say,  with  the  opening  judgematically  hid 
by  the  brambles.  If  what  you  tell  me  of  the  manner  in 
which  you  concealed  the  trail  be  true,  the  sweet-one  might 
lie  there  a  month,  and  laugh  at  the  Mingos." 

"  We  are  never  certain — I  wish  we  had  brought  her  nea . 
er  to  our  own  cover  !" 

"  What  for,  Eau-douce  ? — To  place  her  pretty  little  head 
and  leaping  heart  among  flying  bullets.  No — no — she  is 
better  where  she  is,  because  she  is  safer." 

"  We  are  never  certain — we  thought  ourselves  safe,  behind 
the  bushes,  and  jet  you  saw  that  we  were  discovered." 

"  And  the  Mingo  imp  paid  for  his  curiosity,  as  these 
knaves  are  about  to  do — " 

The  Pathfinder  ceased  speaking,  for  at  that  instant,  the 
sharp  report  of  a  rifle  was  heard,  when  the  Indian  in  the 
stern  of  the  canoe  leaped  high  into  the  air,  and  fell  into  the 
water  holding  the  paddle  in  his  hand.  A  small  wreath  of 
smoke  floated  out  from  among  the  bushes  of,  the  eastern 
shore,  and  was  soon  absorbed  by  the  atmosphere. 

"That  is  the  Sarpent  hissing  !"  exclaimed  the  Pathfinder, 
exultingly.  "  A  bolder  or  a  truer  heart  never  beat  in  the  breast 
of  a  Delaware.  I  am  sorry  that  he  interfered,  but  he  could 
not  have  known  our  condition — he  could  not  have  known  our 
condition." 

The  canoe  no  sooner  lost  its  guide,  than  it  floated  with  the 

stream,  and  was  soon  sucked  into  the  rapids  of  the  rift. 

Perfectly  helpless,  the  two  remaining  savages  gazed  wildly 

about  them,  but  could  offer  no  resistance  to  the  power  of 

7* 


78  THE    PATHFINDER. 

the  element.  It  was,  perhaps,  fortunate  for  Chingachgook 
that  the  attention  of  most  of  the  Iroquois  was  intently  given 
to  the  situation  of  those  in  the  boat,  else  would  his  escape 
have  been,  to  the  least  degree,  difficult,  if  not  totally  imprac 
ticable.  But  not  a  foe  moved,  except  to  conceal  his  person 
behind  some  cover,  and  every  eye  was  riveted  on  the  two 
remaining  adventurers.  In  less  time  than  has  been  neces 
sary  to  record  these  occurrences,  the  canoe  was  whirling 
and  tossing  in  the  rift,  while  both  the  savages  had  stretched 
themselves  in  its  bottom,  as  the  only  means  of  preserving 
the  equilibrium.  This  natural  expedient  soon  failed  them, 
for  striking  a  rock,  the  light  craft  rolled  over,  and  the  two 
warriors  were  thrown  into  the  river.  The  water  is  seldom 
deep  on  a  rift,  except  in  particular  places,  where  it  may  have 
worn  channels,  and  there  was  little  to  be  apprehended  from 
drowning,  though  their  arms  were  lost,  and  the  two  savages 
were  fain  to  make  the  best  of  their  way  to  the  friendly  shore, 
swimming  and  wading  as  circumstances  required.  The  canoe 
itself  lodged  on  a  rock,  in  the  centre  of  the  stream,  where, 
for  the  moment,  it  became  useless  to  both  parties. 

"  Now  is  our  time,  Pathfinder,"  cried  Jasper,  as  the  two 
Iroquois  exposed  most  of  their  persons  while  wading  in  the 
shallowest  part  of  the  rapids — "The  fellow  up  stream  is 
mine,  and  you  can  take  the  lower." 

So  excited  had  the  young  man  become,  by  all  the  incidents 
of  the  stirring  scene,  that  the  bullet  sped  from  his  rifle  as  he 
spoke,  but  uselessly  as  it  would  seem,  for  both  the  fugitives 
tossed  their  arms  in  disdain.  The  Pathfinder  did  not  fire. 

«  NO — no — Eau-douce,"  he  answered — "I  do  not  seek 
blood  without  a  cause,  and  my  bullet  is  well  leathered  and 
carefully  driven  down,  for  the  time  of  need.  I  love  no 
Mingo,  as  is  just,  seeing  how  much  I  have  consorted  with  the 
Delawares,  who  are  their  mortal  and  natural  enemies;  but  I 
never  pull  trigger  on  one  of  the  miscreants,  unless  it  be  plain 
that  his  death  will  lead  to  some  good  end.  The  deer  never 
leaped  that  fell  by  my  hand  wantonly.  By  living  much 
alone  with  God  in  the  wilderness,  a  man  gets  to  feel  the  jus 
tice  of  such  opinions.  One  life  is  sufficient  for  our  present 
wants,  and  there  may  yet  be  occasion  to  use  Killdeer  in 
behalf  of  the  Sarpent,  who  has  done  an  untimorsome  thing  to 
let  them  rampant  devils  so  plainly  kno\*  that  he  is  in  their 


THE    PATHFINDER.  79 

neighbourhood.  As  I'm  a  wicked  sinner,  there  is  one  of 
them  prowling  along  the  bank,  this  very  moment,  like  one  of 
the  boys  of  the  garrison  skulking  behind  a  fallen  tree  to  get 
u  shot  at  a  squirrel !" 

As  the  Pathfinder  pointed  with  his  finger,  while  speaking, 
the  quick  eye  of  Jasper  soon  caught  the  object  towards  which 
it  was  directed.  One  of  the  young  warriors  of  the  enemy, 
burning  with  a  desire  to  distinguish  himself,  had  stolen  from 
his  party  towards  the  cover  in  which  Chingachgook  had  con 
cealed  himself;  and  as  the  latter  was  deceived  by  the  apparent 
apathy  of  his  foes,  as  well  as  engaged  in  some  further  pre 
parations  of  his  own,  he  had  evidently  obtained  a  position 
where  he  got  a  sight  of  the  Delaware.  This  circumstance 
was  apparent  by  the  arrangements  the  Iroquois  was  making 
to  fire,  for  Chingachgook  himself  was  not  visible  from  the 
western  side  of  the  river.  The  rift  was  at  a  b$nd  jn  the 
Oswego,  arid  the  sweep  of  the  eastern  shore  formed  a  curve 
so  wide  that  Chingachgook  was  quite  near  to  his  enemies  in 
a  straight  direction,  though  separated  by  several  hundred  feet 
on  the  land,  owing  to  which  fact,  air  lines  brought  both  par 
ties  nearly  equidistant  from  the  Pathfinder  and  Jasper.  The 
general  width  of  the  river  being  a  little  less  than  two  hundred 
yards,  such  necessarily  was  about  the  distance  between  his 
two  observers  and  the  skulking  Iroquois. 

"  The  Sarpent  must  be  thereabouts,"  observed  Pathfinder, 
who  never  turned  his  eye  for  an  instant  from  the  young  war 
rior  ;  "  and  yet  he  must  be  strangely  off  his  guard  to  allow 
a  Mingo  devil  to  get  his  stand  so  near,  with  manifest  signs 
of  bloodshed  in  his  heart." 

"  See,"  interrupted  Jasper — "  there  is  the  body  of  the 
Indian,  the  Delaware  shot !  It  has  drifted  on  a  rock,  and  the 
current  has  forced  the  head  and  face  above  the  water." 

"  Quite  likely,  boy  ;  quite  likely.  Human  natur'  is  little 
better  than  a  log  of  drift  wood,  when  the  life  that  was  breathed 
into  its  nostrils  has  departed.  That  Iroquois  will  never  harm 
any  one  more ;  but  yonder  skulking  savage  is  bent  on  taking 
the  scalp  of  my  best  and  most  tried  friend " 

The  Pathfinder  suddenly  interrupted  himself,  by  raising 
his  rifle,  a  weapon  of  unusual  length,  with  admirable  preci 
sion,  and  firing  the  instant  it  had  got  its  level.  The  Iroquois 
on  the  opposite  shore,  was  in  the  act  of  aiming  when  the  fatal 


80  THE    PATHFINDER. 

messenger  from  Killdeer  arrived.  His  rifle  was  discharged, 
it  is  true,  but  it  was  with  the  muzzle  in  the  air,  while  the 
man  himself  plunged  into  the  bushes,  quite  evidently  hurt, 
if  not  slain. 

"  The  skulking  reptyle  brought  it  on  himself,"  muttered 
Pathfinder,  sternly,  as  dropping  the  breech  of  his  rifle,  he 
carefully  commenced  reloading  it.  "  Chingachgook  and  I 
have  consorted  together  since  we  were  boys,  and  have  fou't 
in  company,  on  the  Horican,  the  Mohawk,  the  Ontario,  and 
all  the  other  bloody  passes  between  the  country  of  the 
Frenchers  and  our  own ;  and  did  the  foolish  knave  believe 
that  I  would  stand  by  and  see  my  best  friend  cut  off  in  an 
ambushment !" 

"  We  have  served  the  Serpent  as  good  a  turn  as  he  served 
us.  Those  rascals  are  troubled,  Pathfinder,  and  are  falling 
back  jnto^heir  covers,  since  they  find  we  can  reach  them 
across  the  river." 

"  The  shot  is  no  great  matter,  Jasper — no  great  matter. 
Ask  any  of  the  60th,  and  Ihey  can  tell  you,  what  Killdeer 
can  do,  and  has  done,  and  that  too  when  the  bullets  were 
flying  about  our  heads  like  hail-stone.  No — no — this  is  no 
great  matter,  and  the  unthoughtful  vagabond  drew  it  down 
on  himself." 

"  Is  that  a  dog,  or  a  deer,  swimming  towards  this  shore  ?" 

Pathfinder  started,  for,  sure  enough,  an  object  was  cross 
ing  the  stream,  above  the  rift,  towards  which,  however,  it  was 
gradually  setting  by  the  force  of  the  current.  A  second  look 
satisfied  both  the  observers  that  it  was  a  man,  and  an  Indian, 
though  so  concealed  as,  at  first,  to  render  it  doubtful.  Some 
stratagem  was  apprehended,  and  the  closest  attention  was 
given  to  the  movements  of  the  stranger. 

"  He  is  pushing  something  before  him,  as  he  swims,  arid 
his  head  resembles  a  drifting  bush  !"  said  Jasper. 

"  'T  is  Indian  deviltry,  boy  ;  but  Christian  honesty  shall 
sarcumvent  their  arts." 

As  the  man  slowly  approached,  the  observers  began  to 
doubt  the  accuracy  of  their  first  impressions,  and  it  was  oniy 
when  two-thirds  of  the  stream  was  passed,  that  the  truth  was 
really  known. 

"  The  Big  Sarpent,  as  I  live !"  exclaimed  Pathfinder,  look 
ing  at  his  companion,  and  laughing  until  the  tears  came  into 


THE    PATHFINDER.  81 

his  eyes,  with  pure  delight  at  the  success  of  the  artifice. 
"  He  has  tied  bushes  to  his  head,  so  as  to  hide  it,  put  the 
horn  on  top,  lashed  the  rifle  to  that  bit  of  log  he  is  pushing 
before  him,  and  has  come  over  to  join  his  friends.  Ahs !  me. 
The  times,  and  times,  that  he  and  I  have  cut  such  pranks, 
right  in  the  teeth  of  Mingos  raging  for  our  blood,  in  the  great 
thoroughfare  round  and  about  Ty !" 

"  It  may  not  be  the  Serpent,  after  all,  Pathfinder — I  can 
see  no  feature  that  I  remember." 

"  Feature  !  Who  looks  for  features  in  an  Indian  ? — No — 
no — boy  ;  't  is  the  paint  that  speaks, — and  none  but  a  Dela 
ware  would  wear  that  paint.  Them  are  his  colours,  Jasper, 
just  as  your  craft  on  the  lake  wears  St.  George's  Cross,  and 
the  Frenchers  set  their  table-cloths  to  fluttering  in  the  wind, 
with  all  the  stains  of  fish-bones  and  venison  steaks  upon 
them.  Now,  you  see  the  eye,  lad,  and  it  is  the  eye  of  a 
chief.  But,  Eau-douce,  fierce  as  it  is  in  battle,  and  glassy  as 
it  looks  from  among  the  leaves — "  Here  the  Pathfinder  laid 
his  finger  lightly  but  impressively  on  his  companion's  arm, 
— "  I  have  seen  it  shed  tears  like  rain.  There  is  a  soul  and 
a  heart  under  that  red  skin,  rely  on  it ;  although  they  are  a 
soul  and  a  heart  with  gifts  different  from  our  own." 

"  No  one,  who  is  acquainted  with  the  chief,  ever  doubted 
that." 

"  I  know  it,"  returned  the  other,  proudly,  "  for  I  have 
consorted  with  him  in  sorrow  and  in  joy ;  in  one  I  have 
found  him  a  man,  however  stricken;  in  the  other*  a  chief 
who  knows  that  the  women  of  his  tribe  are  the  most  seemlv 
in  light  merriment.  But,  hist !  It  is  too  much  like  the  people 
of  the  settlements  to  pour  soft  speeches  into  another's  ear 
and  the  Sarpent  has  keen  senses.  He  knows  I  love  him,  and 
that  I  speak  well  of  him  behind  his  back ;  but  a  Delaware 
has  modesty  in  his  inmost  natur',  though  he  will  bra^r  like  a 
sinner  when  tied  to  a  stake." 

The  Serpent  now  reached  the  shore,  directly  in  the  front 
of  his  two  comrades,  with  whose  precise  position  he  must 
have  been  acquainted,  before  leaving  the  eastern  side  o/  the 
river,  and  rising  from  the  water  he  shook  himself  like  a  tk>g, 
and  made  the  usual  exclamation — 

"Hugh!" 


82  THE  PATHFINDER. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

*  These,  as  they  change,  Almighty  Father,  these 
Are  but  the  varied  God." 

THOMSON 

As  the  chief  landed  he  was  met  by  the  Pathfinder,  who 
addressed  him  in  the  language  of  the  warrior's  people. 

"  Was  it  well  done,  Chingachgook,"  he  said,  reproachfully, 
'*  to  ambush  a  dozen  Mingos,  alone !  Killdeer  seldom  fails 
me,  it  is  true;  but  the  Osvvego  makes  a  distant  mark,  and 
that  miscreant  showed  little  more  than  his  head  and  shoul 
ders  above  the  bushes,  and  an  onpractysed  hand  and  eye 
might  have  failed.  You  should  have  thought  of  this,  chief; 
you  should  have  thought  of  this  !" 

"  The  great  Serpent  is  a  Mohican,  warrior — he  sees  only 
his  enemies,  when  he  is  on  the  war-path,  and  his  fathers  have 
struck  the  Mingos  from  behind,  since  the  waters  began  to 
run !" 

"  I  know  your  gifts — I  know  your  gifts,  and  respect  them, 
too.  No  man  shall  hear  me  complain  that  a  red-skin  ob« 
sarved  red-skin  natur',  but  prudence  as  much  becomes  a 
warrior  as  valour;  and  had  not  the  Iroquois  devils  been 
looking  after  their  friends  who  were  in  the  water,  a  hot  trail 
they  would  have  made  of  yourn  !" 

"  What  is  the  Delaware  about  to  do  ?"  exclaimed  Jasper, 
who  observed,  at  that  moment,  that  the  chief  had  suddenly 
left  the  Pathfinder,  and  advanced  to  the  water's  edge,  appa 
rently  with  an  intention  of  again  entering  the  river.  "  He 
will  not  be  so  mad  as  to  return  to  the  other  shore,  for  any 
trifle  he  may  have  forgotten  !" 

'*  Not  he — not  he;  he  is  as  prudent  as  he  is  brave,  in  the 
main,  though  so  forgetful  of  himself  in  the  late  ambushment. 
Harkee,  Jasper,"  leading  the  other  a  little  aside,  just  as  they 
heard  the  Indian's  plunge  into  the  water — "  harkee,  lad ; 
Chingachgook  is  not  a  Christian  white  man,  like  ourselves, 
but  a  Mohican  chief,  who  has  his  gifts  and  traditions  to  tell  him 
what  he  ought  to  do ;  and  he  who  consorts  with  them  that  are 
not  strictly  and  altogether  of  his  own  kind,  had  better  leave 
natur'  and  use  to  govern  his  comrades.  A  king's  soldier 


THE    PATHFINDER.  83 

will  swear,  and  he  will  drink,  and  it  is  of  little  use  to  try  to 
prevent  him  ;  a  gentleman  likes  his  delicacies,  and  a  lady 
her  feathers,  and  it  does  not  avail  much  to  struggle  against 
either ;  whereas  an  Indian's  natur'  and  gifts  are  much  strong 
er  than  these,  and  no  doubt  were  bestowed  by  the  Lord  for 
wise  ends,  though  neither  you  nor  me  can  follow  them  in  all 
their  windings." 

"  What  does  this  mean  1 — See,  the  Delaware  is  swimming 
towards  the  body  that  is  lodged  on  the  rock.  Why  does  he 
risk  this  ?" 

"  For  honour,  and  glory,  and  renown,  as  great  gentlemen 
quit  their  quiet  homes,  beyond  seas,  where,  as  they  tell  me, 
heart  has  nothing  left  to  wish  for,  that  is,  such  hearts  as  can 
be  satisfied  in  a  clearing,  to  come  hither  to  live  on  game  and 
fight  the  Frenchers." 

"  I  understand  you — your  friend  has  gone  to  secure  the 
scalp." 

"  'T  is  his  gift,  and  let  him  enjoy  it.  We  are  white  men, 
and  cannot  mangle  a  dead  enemy,  but  it  is  honour  in  the 
eyes  of  a  red-skin  to  do  so.  It  may  seem  singular  to  you, 
Eau-douce,  but  I've  known  white  men  of  great  name  and 
character  manifest  as  remarkable  idees  concerning  their 
honour,  I  have." 

"  A  savage  will  be  a  savage,  Pathfinder,  let  him  keep  what 
company  he  may." 

"  It  is  well  for  us  to  say  so,  lad,  but,  as  I  tell  you,  white 
honour  will  not  always  conform  to  reason,  or  to  the  will  of 
God.  I  have  passed  days  thinking  of  these  matters,  out  in 
the  silent  woods,  and  I  have  come  to  the  opinion,  boy,  that, 
as  Providence  rules  all  things,  no  gift  is  bestowed  without 
some  wise  and  reasonable  end.  If  Indians  are  of  no  use, 
Indians  would  not  have  been  created,  and  I  do  suppose,  could 
one  dive  to  the  bottom  of  things,  it  would  be  found  that  even 
the  Mingo  tribes  were  produced  for  some  rational  and  proper 
purpose,  though  I  confess  it  surpasses  my  means  to  say  what 
;  is." 

"  The  Serpent  greatly  exposes  himself  to  the  enemy,  in 
order  to  get  his  scalp !  This  may  lose  us  the  day." 

"Not  in  his  mind,  Jasper.  That  one  scalp  has  more 
honour  in  it,  according  to  the  Sarpent's  notions  of  warfare, 
than  a  field  covered  with  slain,  that  kept  ^he  hair  on  their 


84  THE    PATHFINDER. 

heads.  Now,  there  was  the  fine  young  captain  of  the  60th 
that  threw  away  his  life,  in  trying  to  bring  off  a  three-pounder 
from  among  the  Trenchers,  in  the  last  skrimmage  we  had  ; 
he  thought  he  was  sarving  honour ;  and  I  have  known  a 
young  ensign  wrap  himself  up  in  his  colours,  and  go  to  sleep 
in  his  blood,  fancying  that  he  was  lying  on  something  softer 
even  than  buffalo-skins !" 

"  Yes,  yes ;  one  can  understand  the  merit  of  not  hauling 
down  an  ensign." 

"  And  these  are  Chingachgook's  colours — he  will  keep 
them  to  show  his  children's  children — "  here  the  Pathfinder 
interrupted  himself,  shook  his  head  in  melancholy,  and  slowly 
added — "  Ahs  me  !  no  shoot  of  the  old  Mohican  stem  remains ! 
He  has  no  children  to  delight  with  his  trophies ;  no  tribe  to 
honour  by  his  deeds ;  he  is  a  lone  man  in  this  world,  and 
yet  he  stands  true  to  his  training  and  his  gifts  !  There  is 
something  honest  and  respectable  in  these,  you  must  allow, 
Jasper ;  yes,  there  is  something  decent  in  that." 

Here  a  great  outcry  from  among  the  Iroquois,  was  suc 
ceeded  by  the  quick  reports  of  their  rifles,  and  so  eager  did 
the  enemy  become,  in  the  desire  to  drive  the  Delaware  back 
from  his  victim,  that  a  dozen  rushed  into  the  river,  several  of 
whom  even  advanced  near  a  hundred  feet  into  the  foaming 
current,  as  if  they  actually  meditated  a  serious  sortie.  But 
Chingachgook  continued  as  unmoved,  as  he  remained  unhurt 
by  the  missiles,  accomplishing  his  task  with  the  dexterity  of 
long  habit.  Flourishing  his  reeking  trophy,  he  gave  the  war 
whoop  in  its  most  frightful  intonations,  and  for  a  minute  the 
arches  of  the  silent  woods,  and  the  deep  vista  formed  by  the 
course  of  the  river,  echoed  with  cries  so  terrific  that  Mabel 
bowed  her  head,  in  irrepressible  fear,  while  her  uncle  for  a 
single  instant,  actually  meditated  flight. 

"  This  surpasses  all  I  have  heard  from  the  wretches," 
Jasper  exclaimed,  stopping  his  ears,  equally  in  horror  and 
disgust. 

"Tis  their  music,  boy;  their  drum  and  fife;  their  trum 
pets  and  clarions.  No  doubt  they  love  those  sounds,  for  they 
stir  up  in  them  fierce  feelings,  and  a  desire  for  blood,"  re 
turned  the  Pathfinder,  totally  unmoved.  "  I  thought  them 
rather  frightful  when  a  mere  youngster,  but  they  have  got 
to  be  like  the  whistle  of  the  whip-poor-will,  or  the  song  of  the 


THE  PATHFINDER,,  85 

cat-bird  in  my  ear  now.  All  the  screeching  reptyles  that 
could  stand  between  the  Falls  and  the  garrison,  would  have 
no  effect  on  my  narves,  at  this  time  of  day.  I  say  it  not  in 
boasting,  Jasper,  for  the  man  that  lets  in  cowardice  through 
the  ears,  must  have  but  a  weak  heart,  at  the  best ;  sounds 
and  outcries  being  more  intended  to  alarm  women  and  chil 
dren,  than  such  as  scout  the  forest,  and  face  the  foe.  I  hope 
the  Sarpent  is  now  satisfied,  for  here  he  comes  with  the  scalp 
at  his  belt." 

Jasper  turned  away  his  head  as  the  Delaware  rose  from 
the  water,  in  pure  disgust  at  his  late  errand,  but  the  Path 
finder  regarded  his  friend  with  the  philosophical  indifference 
of  one  who  had  made  up  his  mind  to  be  indifferent  to  things 
he  deemed  immaterial.  As  the  Delaware  passed  deeper  into 
the  bushes,  with  a  view  to  wring  his  trifling  calico  dress,  and 
to  prepare  his  rifle  for  service,  he  gave  one  glance  of  triumph 
at  his  companions,  and  then  all  emotion  connected  with  the 
recent  exploit  seemed  to  cease. 

"  Jasper,"  resumed  the  guide — "  step  down  to  the  station 
of  Master  Cap,  and  ask  him  to  join  us  :  we  have  little  time  for 
a  council,  and  yet  our  plans  must  be  laid  quickly,  for  it  will 
not  be  long  before  them  Mingos  will  be  plotting  our  ruin." 

The  young  man  complied,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  four 
were  assembled  near  the  shore,  completely  concealed  from 
the  view  of  their  enemies,  while  they  kept  a  vigilant  watch  over 
the  proceedings  of  the  latter,  in  order  to  consult  on  their  own 
future  movements. 

By  this  time,  the  day  had  so  far  advanced,  as  to  leave  but  a 
few  minutes  between  the  passing  light  and  an  obscurity  that  pro 
mised  to  be  even  deeper  than  common.  The  sun  had  already 
set,  and  the  twilight  of  a  low  latitude  would  soon  pass  into  the 
darkness  of  deep  night.  Most  of  the  hopes  of  the  party  rested 
on  this  favourable  circumstance,  though  it  was  not  without  its 
dangers,  also,  as  the  very  obscurity  which  would  favour  their 
escape  would  be  as  likely  to  conceal  the  movements  of  their 
wily  enemies. 

"  The  moment  has  come,  men,"  Pathfinder  commenced, 
'*  when  our  plans  must  be  coolly  laid,  in  order  that  we  may 
act  together,  and  with  a  right  understanding  of  our  errand 
and  gifts.  In  an  hour's  time,  these  woods  will  be  as  dark  as 
midnight,  and  if  we  are  ever  to  gain  the  garrison,  it  must  be 
8 


86  THE    PATHFINDER. 

done  under  favour  of  this  advantage.  What  say  you,  Master 
Cap,  for  though  none  of  the  most  experienced  in  combats  and 
retreats  in  the  woods,  your  years  entitle  you  to  speak  first,  in 
a  matter  like  this>  and  in  a  council." 

"  And  my  near  relationship  to  Mabel,  Pathfinder,  ought  to 
count  for  something — " 

"  I  don't  know  that — I  don't  know  that.  Regard  is  regard, 
and  liking,  liking,  whether  it  be  a  gift  of  natur',  or  come  from 
one's  own  judgment  and  inclinations.  I  will  say  nothing  for 
the  Sarpent,  who  is  past  placing  his  mind  on  the  women,  but 
as  for  Jasper  and  myself,  we  are  as  ready  to  stand  between 
the  Serjeant's  daughter  and  the  Mingos  as  her  own  brave  father 
himself,  could  be.  Do  I  say  more  than  the  truth,  lad?" 

"  Mabel  may  count  on  me  to  the  last  drop  of  my  blood," 
said  Jasper,  speaking  low,  but  speaking  with  intense  feeling. 

"  Well,  well,"  rejoined  the  uncle,  "  we  will  not  discuss 
this  matter,  as  all  seem  willing  to  serve  the  girl,  and  deeds 
are  better  than  words.  In  my  judgment,  all  we  have  to  do, 
is  to  go  on  board  the  canoe,  when  it  gets  to  be  so  dark  the 
enemy's  look-outs  can't  see  us,  and  run  for  the  haven,  as 
wind  and  tide  will  allow." 

"  That  is  easily  said,  but  not  so  easily  done,"  returned  the 
guide.  "We  shall  be  more  exposed  in  the  river  than  by 
following  the  woods,  and  then  there  is  the  Oswego  rift  below 
us,  and  I  am  far  from  sartain  that  Jasper  himself  can  carry 
a  boat  safely  through  it,  in  the  dark.  What  say  you,  lad,  as 
to  your  own  skill  and  judgment?" 

"  I  am  of  Master  Cap's  opinion  about  using  the  canoe 
Mabel  is  too  tender  to  walk  through  swamps,  and  among 
roots  of  trees,  in  such  a  night  as  this  promises  to  be,  and 
then  I  always  feel  myself  stouter  of  heart,  and  truer  of  eye, 
when  afloat  than  when  ashore." 

"  Stout  of  heart,  you  always  be,  lad,  and  I  think  tolerably 
true  of  eye  for  one  who  has  lived  so  much  in  broad  sunshine, 
and  so  little  in  the  woods.  Ahs  me !  the  Ontario  has  no 
trees,  or  it  would  be  a  plain  to  delight  a  hunter's  heart !  As 
to  your  opinion,  friends,  there  is  much  for,  and  much  against 
it.  For  it,  it  may  be  said  water  leaves  no  trail — " 

"  What  do  you  call  the  wake  ?"  interrupted  the  pertinacious 
and  dogmatical  Cap. 

"Anan?" 


THE    PATHFINDER.  87 

"  Go  on,"  said  Jasper ;  "  Master  Cap  thinks  he  is  on  the 
acean — water  leaves  no  trail — " 

"  It  leaves  none,  Eau-douce,  hereaway,  though  I  do  not 
pretend  to  say  what  it  may  leave  on  the  sea.  Then  a 
canoe  is  both  swift  and  easy,  when  it  floats  with  the  current, 
and  the  tender  limbs  of  the  Serjeant's  daughter  will  be  favour 
ed  by  its  motion.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  river  will  have 
no  cover  but  the  clouds  in  the  heavens,  the  rift  is  a  ticklish 
thing  for  boats  to  venture  into,  even  by  day-light,  and  it  is  six 
fairly  measured  miles,  by  water,  from  this  spot  to  the  garri 
son.  Then  a  trail  on  land  is  not  easy  to  be  found  in  the 
dark.  T  am  troubled,  Jasper,  to  say  which  way  we  ought  to 
counsel  and  advise." 

"  If  the  Serpent  and  myself  could  swim  into  the  river, 
and  bring  off  the  other  canoe,"  the  young  sailor  replied,  "  it 
would  seem  to  me,  that  our  safest  course  would  be  the  water." 

"  If,  indeed  !  and  yet  it  might  easily  be  done,  as  soon  as 
it  is  a  little  darker.  Well,  well,  considering  the  Serjeant's 
daughter,  and  her  gifts,  I  am  not  sartain  it  will  not  be  the 
best.  Though  were  we  only  a  party  of  men,  it  would  be 
like  a  hunt  to  the  lusty  and  brave,  to  play  at  hide-and-seek 
with  yonder  miscreants,  on  the  other  shore.  Jasper,"  con 
tinued  the  guide,  into  whose  character  there  entered  no  ingre 
dient  that  belonged  to  vain  display,  or  theatrical  effect,  "  will 
you  undertake  to  bring  in  the  canoe?" 

"  I  will  undertake  anything  that  will  serve  and  protect 
Mabel,  Pathfinder." 

"  That  is  an  upright  feeling,  and  I  suppose  it  is  natur*. 
The  Sarpent,  who  is  nearly  naked  already,  can  help  you,  and 
this  will  be  cutting  off  one  of  the  means  of  them  devils  to 
work  their  harm." 

This  material  point  being  settled,  the  different  members  of 
the  party  prepared  themselves  to  put  the  project  in  execution. 
The  shades  of  evening  fell  fast  upon  the  forest,  and  by  the 
time  all  was  ready  for  the  attempt,  it  was  found  impossible  to 
discern  objects  on  the  opposite  shore.  Time  now  pressed, 
for  Indian  cunning  could  devise  so  many  expedients  for  pass 
ing  so  narrow  a  stream,  that  the  Pathfinder  was  getting 
impatient  to  quit  the  spot.  While  Jasper  and  his  com 
panion  entered  the  river,  armed  with  nothing  but  their  knives 
and  the  Delaware's  tomahawk,  observing  the  greatest  caution 


88  THE    PATHFINDER. 

not  to  betray  their  movements,  the  guide  brought  Mabel  from 
her  place  of  concealment,  and  bidding  her  and  Cap  proceed 
along  the  shore  to  the  foot  of  the  rapids,  he  got  into  the  canoe, 
that  remained  in  his  possession,  in  order  to  carry  it  to  the 
same  place. 

This  was  easily  effected.  The  canoe  was  laid  against  the 
bank,  and  Mabel  and  her  uncle  entered  it,  taking  their  seats 
as  usual ;  while  the  Pathfinder,  erect  in  the  stern,  held  by  a 
bush,  in  order  to  prevent  the  swift  stream  from  sweeping 
them  down  its  current.  Several  minutes  of  intense  and 
breathless  expectation  followed,  while  they  awaited  the  result 
of  the  bold  attempt  of  their  comrades. 

It  will  be  understood  that  the  two  adventurers  were  com 
pelled  to  swim  across  a  deep  and  rapid  channel,  ere  they 
could  reach  a  part  of  the  rift  that  admitted  of  wading.  This 
portion  of  the  enterprise  was  soon  effected ;  and  Jasper  and 
the  Serpent  struck  the  bottom,  side  by  side,  at  the  same  in 
stant.  Having  secured  firm  footing,  they  took  hold  of  each 
other's  hands,  and  waded  slowly  and  with  extreme  caution, 
in  the  supposed  direction  of  the  canoe.  But  the  darkness 
was  already  so  deep,  that  they  soon  ascertained  they  were  to 
be  but  little  aided  by  the  sense  of  sight,  and  that  their  search 
must  be  conducted  on  that  species  of  instinct  which  enables 
the  woodsman  to  find  his  way,  when  the  sun  is  hid,  no  stars 
appear,  and  all  would  seem  chaos  to  one  less  accustomed 
to  the  mazes  of  the  forest.  Under  these  circumstances,  Jas 
per  submitted  to  be  guided  by  the  Delaware,  whose  habits  best 
fitted  him  to  take  the  lead.  Still  it  was  no  easy  matter  to 
wade  amid  the  roaring  element  at  that  hour,  and  retain  a 
clear  recollection  of  the  localities.  By  the  time  they  be 
lieved  themselves  to  be  in  the  centre  of  the  stream,  the  two 
shores  were  discernible  merely  by  masses  of  obscurity  denser 
than  common,  the  outlines  against  the  clouds  being  barely 
distinguishable  by  the  ragged  tops  of  the  trees.  Once  or 
twice  the  wanderers  altered  their  course,  in  consequence  of 
unexpectedly  stepping  into  deep  water,  for  they  knew  that 
the  boat  had  lodged  on  the  shallowest  part  of  the  rift.  In  short, 
with  this  fact  for  their  compass,  Jasper  and  his  companion 
wandered  about  in  the  water,  for  near  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
and  at  the  end  of  that  period,  which  began  to  appear  inter 
minable  to  the  young  man,  they  found  themselves  apparently 


THE    PATHFINDER.  89 

no  nearer  the  object  of  their  search  than  they  had  been  at  its 
commencement.  Just  as  the  Delaware  was  about  to  stop, 
in  order  to  inform  his  associate  that  they  would  do  well  to 
return  to  the  land,  in  order  to  take  a  fresh  departure,  he  saw 
the  form  of  a  man,  moving  about  in  the  water,  almost  within 
reach  of  his  arm.  Jasper  was  at  his  side,  and  he  at  once 
understood  that  the  Iroquois  were  engaged  on  the  same  er 
rand  as  he  was  himself. 

"  Mingo  !"  he  uttered  in  Jasper's  ear — "  the  Serpent  will 
show  his  brother  how  to  be  cunning." 

The  young  sailor  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  figure  at  that 
instant,  and  the  startling  truth  also  flashed  on  his  mind.  Un 
derstanding  the  necessity  of  trusting  all  to  the  Delaware  chief, 
he  kept  back,  while  his  friend  moved  cautiously  in  the  direc 
tion  in  which  the  strange  form  had  vanished.  In  another 
moment,  it  was  seen  again,  evidently  moving  towards  them 
selves.  The  waters  made  such  an  uproar,  that  little  was  to 
be  apprehended  from  ordinary  sounds,  and  the  Indian,  turn 
ing  his  head,  hastily  said — 

"  Leave  it  to  the  cunning  of  the  great  Serpent." 

"  Hugh  !"  exclaimed  the  strange  savage,  adding,  in  tKe 
language  of  his  people — "  the  canoe  is  found,  but  there  were 
none  to  help  me.  Come  ;  let  us  raise  it  from  the  rock." 

"Willingly ;"  answered  Chingachgook,  who  understood  the 
dialect — "  lead  ;  we  will  follow." 

The  stranger,  unable  to  distinguish  between  voices  and  ac 
cents,  amid  the  raging  of  the  rapid,  led  the  way  in  the  ne 
cessary  direction,  and,  the  two  others  keeping  close  at  his 
heels,  all  three  speedily  reached  the  canoe.  The  Iroquois 
laid  hold  of  one  end,  Chingachgook  placed  himself  in  the 
centre,  and  Jasper  went  to  the  opposite  extremity,  as  it  was 
important  that  the  stranger  should  not  detect  the  presence  of 
a  pale-face,  a  discovery  that  might  be  made,  by  the  parts  of 
the  dress  the  young  man  still  wore,  as  well  as  by  the  general 
appearance  of  his  head. 

"  Lift,"  said  the  Iroquois,  in  the  sententious  manner  of  his 
race ;  and  by  a  trifling  effort  the  canoe  was  raised  from  the 
rock,  held  a  moment  in  the  air  to  empty  it,  and  then  placed 
carefully  on  the  water,  in  its  proper  position.  All  three  held 
it  firmly,  lest  it  should  escape  from  their  hands,  under  the 
pressure  of  the  violent  current,  while  the  Iroquois,  who  led 
8* 


90  THE    PATHFINDER 

of  course,  being  at  the  upper  end  of  the  boat,  took  the  direc 
tion  of  the  eastern  shore,  or  towards  the  spot  where  his 
friends  waited  his  return. 

As  the  Delaware  and  Jasper  well  knew  there  must  be 
several  more  of  the  Iroquois  on  the  rift,  from  the  circum 
stance  that  their  own  appearance  had  occasioned  no  surprise 
m  the  individual  they  had  met,  both  felt  the  necessity  of  ex 
treme  caution.  Men  less  bold  and  determined  would  have 
thought  that  they  were  incurring  too  great  a  risk,  by  thus 
venturing  into  the 'midst  of  their  enemies;  but  these  hardy 
borderers  were  unacquainted  with  fear,  were  accustomed  to 
hazards,  and  so  well  understood  the  necessity  of  at  least 
preventing  their  foes  from  getting  the  boat,  that  they  would 
have  cheerfully  encountered  even  greater  risks  to  secure  their 
object.  So  all-important  to  the  safety  of  Mabel,  indeed,  did 
Jasper  deem  the  possession,  or  the  destruction  of  this  canoe, 
that  he  had  drawn  his  knife,  and  stood  ready  to  rip  up  the 
bark,  in  order  to  render  the  boat  temporarily  unserviceable, 
should  any  thing  occur  to  compel  the  Delaware  and  himself 
to  abandon  their  prize. 

Jn  the  mean  time,  the  Iroquois,  who  led  the  way,  proceed 
ed  slowly  through  the  water,  in  the  direction  of  his  own  par 
ty,  still  grasping  the  canoe,  and  dragging  his  reluctant  fol 
lowers  in  his  train.  Once,  Chingachgook  raised  his  tomahawk 
and  was  about  to  bury  it  in  the  brain  of  his  confiding  and 
unsuspicious  neighbour,  but  the  probability  that  the  death-cry 
or  the  floating  body  might  give  the  alarm,  induced  that  wary 
chief  to  change  his  purpose.  At  the  next  moment  he  regret- 
ted  this  indecision,  for  the  three  who  clung  to  the  canoe  sud 
denly  found  themselves  in  the  centre  of  a  party  of  no  less 
than  four  others  who  were  in  quest  of  it. 

After  the  usual  brief,  characteristic  exclamations  of  satis 
faction,  the  savages  eagerly  laid  hold  of  the  canoe,  for  all 
seemed  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  securing  this  impor 
tant  boat,  the  one  side  in  order  to  assail  their  foes,  and  the 
other  to  secure  their  retreat.  The  addition  to  the  party,  how 
ever,  was  so  unlooked-for,  and  so  completely  gave  the  enemy 
the  superiority,  that,  for  a  few  moments,  the  ingenuity  and  ad- 
dress  of  even  the  Delaware  were  at  fault.  The  five  Iroquois, 
who  seemed  perfectly  to  understand  their  errand,  pressed 
forward  towards  their  own  shore,  without  pausing  to  con- 


THE    PATHFINDER.  94 

verse ;  their  object  being  in  truth  to  obtain  the  paddles,  which 
they  had  previously  secured,  and  to  embark  three  or  four 
warriors,  with  all  their  rifles  and  powder-horns,  the  want  of 
which  had  alone  prevented  their  crossing  the  river,  by  swim 
ming,  as  soon  as  it  was  dark. 

In  this  manner,  the  body  of  friends  and  foes  united  reach 
ed  the  margin  of  the  eastern  channel,  where,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  western,  the  river  was  too  deep  to  be  waded.  Here  a 
short  pause  succeeded,  it  being  necessary  to  determine  the 
manner  in  which  the  canoe  was  to  be  carried  across.  One 
of  the  four  who  had  just  reached  the  boat,  was  a  chief,  and 
the  habitual  deference  which  the  American  Indian  pays  to 
merit,  experience  and  station,  kept  the  others  silent,  until  this 
individual  had  spoken. 

The  halt  greatly  added  to  the  danger  of  discovering  the 
presence  of  Jasper,  in  particular,  who  however  had  the  pre 
caution  to  throw  the  cap  he  wore,  into  the  bottom  of  the  canoe. 
Being  without  his  jacket  and  shirt,  the  outline  of  his  figure, 
:n  the  obscurity,  would  now  be  less  likely  to  attract  observa 
tion.  His  position,  too,  at  the  stern  of  the  canoe,  a  little 
favoured  his  concealment,  the  Iroquois  naturally  keeping 
their  looks  directed  the  other  way.  Not  so  with  Chingach- 
gook.  This  warrior  was  literally  in  the  midst  of  his  most 
deadly  foes,  and  he  could  scarcely  move  without  touching 
one  of  them.  Yet  he  was  apparently  unmoved,  though  he 
kept  all  his  senses  on  the  alert,  in  readiness  to  escape,  or  to 
strike  a  blow,  at  the  proper  moment.  By  carefully  abstain 
ing  from  looking  towards  those  behind  him,  he  lessened  the 
chances  of  discovery,  and  waited  with  the  indomitable  pa 
tience  of  an  Indian  for  the  instant  when  he  should  be  re 
quired  to  act. 

u  Let  all  my  young  men,  but  two,  one  at  each  end  of  the 
canoe,  cross  and  get  their  arms,"  said  the  Iroquois  chief. — 
"  Let  the  two  push  over  the  boat." 

The  Indians  quietly  obeyed,  leaving  Jasper  at  the  stern, 
and  the  Iroquois  who  had  found  the  canoe,  at  the  bcw  of  the 
light  craft,  Chingachgook  burying  himself  so  deep  in  the 
river,  as  to  be  passed  by  the  others  without  detection.  The 
splashing  in  the  water,  the  tossing  arms  and  the  calls  of  one 
to  another,  soon  announced  that  the  four  who  had  last  joined 
the  party,  were  already  swimming.  As  soon  as  this  fact  was 


92  THE    PATHFINDER. 

certain,  the  Delaware  rose,  resumed  his  former  station,  and 
began  to  think  the  moment  for  action  was  come. 

One  less  habitually  under  self-restraint,  than  this  warrior, 
would  probably  have  now  aimed  his  meditated  blow ;  but 
Chingachgook  knew  there  were  more  Iroquois  behind  him 
on  the  rift,  and  he  was  a  warrior  much  too  trained  and  expe 
rienced  to  risk  anything  unnecessarily.  He  suffered  the  In 
dian  at  the  bow  of  the  canoe  to  push  off  into  the  deep  water, 
and  then  all  three  were  swimming  in  the  direction  of  the 
eastern  shore.  Instead,  however,  of  helping  the  canoe  across 
the  swift  current,  no  sooner  did  the  Delaware  and  Jasper  find 
themselves  within  the  influence  of  its  greatest  force,  than 
both  began  to  swim  in  a  way  to  check  their  further  progress 
across  the  stream.  Nor  was  this  done  suddenly,  or  in  the 
incautious  manner  in  which  a  civilized  man  would  have  been 
opt  to  attempt  the  artifice,  but  warily,  and  so  gradually  that 
the  Iroquois  at  the  bow  fancied  at  first  he  was  merely  strug 
gling  against  the  strength  of  the  current.  Of  course,  while 
acted  on  by  these  opposing  efforts,  the  canoe  drifted  down 
stream,  and  in  about  a  minute  it  was  floating  in  still  deeper 
water  at  the  foot  of  the  rift.  Here,  however,  the  Iroquois 
was  not  slow  in  finding  that  something  unusual  retarded  their 
advance,  and  looking  back  he  first  learned  that  he  was  re 
sisted  by  the  efforts  of  his  companions. 

That  second  nature,  which  grows  up  through  habit,  in 
stantly  told  the  young  Iroquois  that  he  was  alone  with  ene 
mies.  Dashing  the  water  aside,  he  sprang  at  the  throat  of 
Chingachgook,  and  the  two  Indians,  relinquishing  their  hold 
of  the  canoe,  seized  each  other  like  tigers.  In  the  midst  of 
the  darkness  of  that  gloomy  night,  and  floating  in  an  element 
so  dangerous  to  man,  when  engaged  in  deadly  strife,  they 
appeared  to  forget  every  thing  but  their  fell  animosity,  and 
their  mutual  desire  to  conquer. 

Jasper  had  now  complete  command  of  the  canoe,  which 
flew  off  like  a  feather  impelled  by  the  breath,  under  the  vio 
lent  reaction  of  the  struggles  of  the  two  combatants.  The 
first  impulse  of  the  youth  was  to  swim  to  the  aid  of  the  Dela 
ware,  but  the  importance  of  securing  the  boat  presented  itself 
with  ten-fold  force,  while  he- listened  to  the  heavy  breathings 
of  the  warriors  as  they  throttled  each  other,  and  he  proceeded 
as  fast  as  possible  towards  the  western  shore.  This  he  soon 


THE    PATHFINDER.  Q3 

reached,  and  after  a  short  search,  he  succeeded  in  discover- 
ing  the  remainder  of  the  party,  and  in  procuring  his  clothes. 
A  few  words  sufficed  to  explain  the  situation  in  which  he  had 
left  the  Delaware,  and  the  manner  in  which  the  canoe  had 
been  obtained. 

When  those  wht  had  been  left  behind  had  heard  the  ex 
planations  of  Jasper,  a  profound  stillness  reigned  among  them, 
each  listening  intently,  in  the  vain  hope  of  catching  some  clue 
to  the  result  of  the  fearful  struggle  that  had  just  taken  place, 
if  it  were  not  still  going  on  in  the  water.  Nothing  was  audi 
ble  beyond  the  steady  roar  of  the  rushing  river ;  it  being  a 
part  of  the  policy  of  their  enemies  on  the  opposite  shore,  to 
observe  the  most  death-like  stillness. 

"Take  this  paddle,  Jasper,"  said  Pathfinder,  calmly,  though 
the  listeners  thought  his  voice  sounded  more  melancholy  than 
usual ;  "  and  follow  with  your  own  canoe. — It  is  unsafe  for 
us  to  remain  here  longer." 

"  But  the  Serpent  ?" 

"  The  Great  Sarpent  is  in  the  hands  of  his  own  Deity,  and 
will  live  or  die,  according  to  the  intentions  of  Providence. 
We  can  do  him  no  good,  and  may  risk  too  much  by  remain 
ing  here  in  idleness,  like  women  talking  over  their  distresses. 
This  darkness  is  very  precious — " 

A  loud,  long,  piercing  yell  came  from  the  shore,  and  cut 
short  the  words  of  the  guide. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  that  uproar,  Master  Path 
finder  ?" — demanded  Cap.  "  It  sounds  more  like  the  out 
cries  of  devils  than  anything  that  can  come  from  the  throats 
of  Christians  and  men." 

"  Christians  they  are  not,  and  do  not  pretend  to  be,  and  do 
not  wish  to  be ;  and  in  calling  them  devils,  you  have  scarcely 
misnamed  them.  That  yell  is  one  of  rejoicing,  and  it  is  as 
conquerors  they  have  given  it.  The  body  of  the  Sarpent, 
no  doubt,  dead  or  alive,  is  in  their  power !" 

"  And  we !"— exclaimed  Jasper,  who  felt  a  pang  of  gene 
rous  regret,  as  the  idea  that  he  might  have  averted  the 
calamity  presented  itself  to  his  mind,  had  he  not  deserted  his 
comrade. 

"  We  can  do  the  chief  no  good,  lad,  and  must  quit  this 
spot  as  fast  as  possible." 


94  THE  PATHFINDER. 

"  Without  one  attempt  to  rescue  him  ! — without  even  know 
ing  whether  he  be  dead  or  living?" 

"Jasper  is  right,"  said  Mabel,  who  could  speak,  though 
her  voice  sounded  huskily  and  smothered  ;  "  I  have  no  fears, 
uncle,  and  will  stay  here  until  we  know  what  has  become  of 
our  friend." 

"  This  seems  reasonable,  Pathfinder,"  put  in  Cap.  "  Your 
true  seaman  cannot  well  desert  a  messmate ;  and  I  am  glad 
to  find  that  motives  so  correct  exist  among  those  fresh- water 
people." 

'*  Tut  —  tut  —  "  returned  the  impatient  guide,  forcing  the 
canoe  into  the  stream  as  he  spoke,  "  ye  know  nothing,  and 
ye  fear  nothing.  If  ye  value  your  lives,  think  of  reaching 
the  garrison,  and  leave  the  Delaware  in  the  hands  of  Provi 
dence.  Ahs  me !  The  deer  that  goes  too  often  to  the  lick 
meets  the  hunter  at  last !" 


CHAPTER  VII. 

*And  is  this — Yarrow? — this  the  stream 
Of  which  my  fancy  cherished 
So  faithfully  a  waking  dream  ? 
An  image  that  hath  perished? 
O  that  some  minstrel's  harp  were  near, 
To  utter  notes  of  gladness, 
And  chase  this  silence  from  the  air, 
That  fills  my  heart  with  sadness." 

WORDSWORTH. 

THE  scene  was  not  without  its  sublimity,  and  the  ardent, 
generous-minded  Mabel  felt  her  blood  thrill  in  her  veins,  and 
her  cheeks  flush,  as  the  canoe  shot  into  the  strength  of  the 
stream  to  quit  the  spot.  The  darkness  of  the  night  had  lessen 
ed,  by  the  dispersion  of  the  clouds ;  but  the  overhanging 
woods  rendered  the  shores  so  obscure,  that  the  boats  floated 
down  the  current  in  a  belt  of  gloom  that  effectually  secured 
them  from  detection.  Still,  there  was  necessarily  a  strong 
feeling  of  insecurity  in  all  on  board  them ;  and  even  Jasper, 
who  by  this  time  began  to  tremble  in  behalf  of  the  girl,  at 


THE  PATHFINDER.  95 

every  unusual  sound  that  arose  from  the  forest,  kept  casting 
uneasy  glances  around  him,  as  he  drifted  on,  in  company. 
The  paddle  was  used  lightly,  and  only  with  exceeding  care, 
for  the  slightest  sound  in  the  breathing  stillness  of  that  hour 
and  place,  might  apprise  the  watchful  ears  of  the  Iroquois  of 
their  position. 

All  these  accessaries  added  to  the  impressive  grandeur  of 
her  situation,  and  contributed  to  render  the  moment  much 
the  most  exciting  that  had  ever  occurred  in  the  brief  exist 
ence  of  Mabel  Dunham.  Spirited,  accustomed  to  self-reliance, 
and  sustained  by  the  pride  of  considering  herself  a  soldier's 
daughter,  she  could  hardly  be  said  to  be  under  the  influence 
of  fear,  yet  her  heart  often  beat  quicker  than  common,  her 
fine  blue  eye  lighted  with  an  exhibition  of  a  resolution  that 
was  wasted  in  the  darkness,  and  her  quickened  feelings  came 
in  aid  of  the  real  sublimity  that  belonged  to  the  scene,  and  to 
the  incidents  of  the  night. 

"  Mabel !"  said  the  suppressed  voice  of  Jasper,  as  the  two 
canoes  floated  so  near  each  other  that  the  hand  of  the  young 
man  held  them  together,  "  you  have  no  dread,  you  trust 
freely  to  our  care,  and  willingness  to  protect  you?" 

"  I  am  a  soldier's  daughter,  as  you  know,  Jasper  Western, 
and  ought  to  be  ashamed  to  confess  fear." 

"Rely  on  me  —  on  us  all.  Your  uncle,  Pathfinder,  the 
Delaware,  were  the  poor  fellow  here,  I  myself,  will  risk  every 
thing  rather  than  harm  should  reach  you." 

"  I  believe  you,  Jasper,"  returned  the  girl,  her  hand  un 
consciously  playing  in  the  water.  "  I  know  that  my  uncle 
loves  me,  and  will  never  think  of  himself  until  he  has  first 
thought  of  me ;  and  I  believe  you  are  all  my  father's  friends, 
and  would  willingly  assist  his  child.  But  I  am  not  so  feeble 
and  weak-minded  as  you  may  think,  for  though  only  a  girl 
from  the  towns,  and  like  most  of  that  class,  a  little  disposed  to 
see  danger  where  there  is  none,  I  promise  you,  Jasper,  no 
foolish  fears  of  mine  shall  stand  in  the  way  of  your  doing 
your  duty." 

"  The  Serjeant's  daughter  is  right,  and  she  is  worthy  of 
being  honest  Thomas  Dunham's  child,"  put  in  the  Pathfinder. 
"  Ahs  me !  pretty  one,  many  is  the  time  that  your  father  and 
I  have  scouted  and  marched  together  on  the  flanks  and  rear 
of  the  enemy,  in  nights  darker  than  this,  and  that  too,  when 


96  THE    PATHFINDER. 

we  did  not  know  but  the  next  moment  would  lead  us  into  & 
bloody  ambushment.  I  was  at  his  side  when  he  got  tne 
wound  in  his  shoulder,  and  the  honest  fellow  will  tell  you 
when  you  meet,  the  manner  in  which  we  contrived  to  cross 
the  river  that  lay  in  our  rear,  in  order  to  save  his  scalp." 

"  He  has  told  me,"  said  Mabel,  with  more  energy  perhaps 
than  her  situation  rendered  prudent.  "  I  have  his  letters,  in 
which  he  has  mentioned  all  that,  and,  I  thank  you  from  the 
bottom  of  my  heart  for  the  service.  God  will  remember  it, 
Pathfinder ;  and  there  is  no  gratitude  that  you  can  ask  of  the 
daughter,  which  she  will  not  cheerfully  repay  for  her  father's 
life." 

"  Ay,  that  is  the  way  with  all  your  gentle  and  pure-hearted 
creatur's  !  I  have  seen  some  of  you  before,  and  have  heard 
of  others  !  The  serjeant,  himself,  has  talked  to  me  of  his  own 
young  days  ;  and  of  your  mother,  and  of  the  manner  in  which 
he  courted  her,  and  of  all  the  crossings  and  disappointments, 
until  he  succeeded  at  last." 

"  My  mother  did  not  live  long  to  repay  him  for  what  he 
did  to  win  her,"  said  Mabel,  with  a  trembling  lip. 

"  So  he  tells  me.  The  honest  serjeant  has  kept  nothing 
back,  for  being  so  many  years  my  senior,  he  has  looked  on 
me,  in  our  many  scoutings  together,  as  a  sort  of  son." 

"  Perhaps,  Pathfinder,"  observed  Jasper,  with  a  huskiness 
in  his  voice  that  defeated  the  attempt  at  pleasantry,  "  he  would 
be  glad  to  have  you  for  one,  in  reality." 

"  And  if  he  did,  Eau-douce,  where  would  be  the  sin  of  it? 
He  knows  what  I  am  on  a  trail,  or  a  scout,  and  he  has  seen 
me  often,  face  to  face,  with  the  Frenchers.  I  have  sometimes 
thought,  lad,  that  we  all  ought  to  seek  for  wives;  for  the  man 
that  lives  altogether  in  the  woods,  and  in  company  with  his 
enemies,  or  his  prey,  gets  to  lose  some  of  the  feeling  of  kind, 
in  the  end." 

"  From  the  specimen  I  have  seen,"  observed  Mabel,  '*  I 
should  say  that  they  who  live  much  in  the  forest,  forget  to 
learn  many  of  the  deceits  and  vices  of  the  towns." 

"  It  is  not  easy,  Mabel,  to  dwell  always  in  the  presence  of 
God,  and  not  feel  the  power  of  his  goodness.  I  have  attended 
church-sarvice  in  the  garrisons^nd  tried  hard,  as  becomes 
a  true  soldier,  to  join  in  the  prayers ;  for  though  no  enlisted 
sarvant  of  the  king,  I  fight  his  battles  and  sarve  his  cause, — 


THE  PATHFINDER.  97 

and  so  I  have  endeavoured  to  worship  garrison-fashion,  but 
never  could  raise  within  me  the  solemn  feelings  and  true 
affection  that  I  feel  when  alone  with  God  in  the  forest.  There 
I  seem  to  stand  face  to  face,  with  my  Master ;  all  around  me 
is  fresh  and  beautiful,  as  it  came  from  his  hand  ,*  and  there 
is  no  nicety,  or  doctrine,  to  chill  the  feelings.  No,  no ;  the 
woods  are  the  true  temple,  after  all,  for  there  the  thoughts  are 
free  to  mount  higher  even  than  the  clouds." 

"  You  speak  the  truth,  Master  Pathfinder,"  said  Cap,  "  and 
a  truth  that  all  who  live  much  in  solitude  know.  What,  for 
instance,  is  the  reason  that  sea-faring  men,  in  general,  are 
so  religious  and  conscientious  in  all  they  do,  but  the  fact  that 
they  are  so  often  alone  with  Providence,  and  have  so  little  to 
do  with  the  wickedness  of  the  land.  Many  and  many  is  the 
time,  that  I  have  stood  my  watch,  under  the  equator  perhaps, 
or  in  the  Southern  Ocean,  when  the  nights  are  lighted  up  with 
the  fires  of  heaven ;  and  that  is  the  time,  I  can  tell  you,  my 
hearties,  to  bring  a  man  to  his  bearings,  in  the  way  of  his 
sins.  I  have  rattled  down  mine,  again  and  again,  under 
such  circumstances,  until  the  shrouds  and  lanyards  of  con 
science  have  fairly  creaked  with  the  strain.  I  agree  with 
you,  Master  Pathfinder,  therefore,  in  saying  if  you  want  a 
truly  religious  man,  go  to  sea,  or  go  into  the  woods." 

"  Uncle,  I  thought  seamen  had  little  credit,  generally,  for 
their  respect  for  religion." 

"  All  d d  slander,  girl !    Ask  your  sea-faring  man  what 

his  real,  private  opinion  is  of  your  landsmen,  parsons  and  all, 
and  you  will  hear  the  other  side  of  the  question.  I  know  no 
class  of  men  who  have  been  so  belied  as  sea-faring  men,  in 
this  particular ;  and  it  is  all  because  they  do  not  stay  at  home 
to  defend  themselves,  and  pay  the  clergy.  They  haven't  a* 
much  doctrine,  perhaps,  as  some  ashore,  but  as  for  all  the 
essentials  of  Christianity,  the  seaman  beats  the  landsman 
hand-over-hand. 

"I  will  not  answer  for  an  this,  Master  Cap,"  returned 
Pathfinder,  "  but  I  dare  say  some  of  it  may  be  true.  I  wan* 
no  thunder  and  lightning  to  remind  me  of  my  God,  nor  am 
I  as  apt  to  bethink  on  most  of  all  his  goodness,  in  trouble 
and  tribulations,  as  on  a  calm,  solemn,  quiet  day,  in  a  forest, 
when  his  voice  is  heard  in  the  creaking  of  a  dead  branch,  or 
9 


98  THE  PATHFINDER. 

in  the  song  of  a  bird,  as  much  in  my  ears  at  least,  as  it  is 
ever  heard  in  uproar  and  gales.  How  is  it  with  you,  Eau- 
douce ;  you  face  the  tempests  as  well  as  Master  Cap,  and 
ought  to  know  something  of  the  feelings  of  storms  ?" 

"  I  fear  that  I  am  too  young  and  too  inexperienced,  to  be 
able  to  say  much  on  such  a  subject,"  modestly  answered 
Jasper. 

"But  you  have  your  feelings  !"  said  Mabel,  quickly.  "  You 
cannot — no  one  can  live  among  such  scenes  without  feeling 
how  much  they  oughf  to  trust  in  God!" 

"  I  shall  not  belie  my  training  so  much  as  to  say  I  do  not 
sometimes  think  of  these  things,  but  I  fear  it  is  not  as  often, 
or  as  much  as  I  ought." 

"  Fresh  water !"  resumed  Cap,  pithily ;  "  you  are  not  to 
expect  too  much  of  the  young  man,  Mabel.  I  think  they  call 
you,  sometimes,  by  a  name  which  would  insinuate  all  this. 
Eau-de-vie,  is  it  not  ?" 

"  Eau-douce,"  quietly  replied  Jasper,  who  from  sailing  on 
the  lake  had  acquired  a  knowledge  of  French,  as  well  as  ot 
several  of  the  Indian  dialects.  "  It  is  a  name  the  Iroquois 
have  given  me  to  distinguish  me  from  some  of  my  compa 
nions  who  once  sailed  upon  the  sea,  and  are  fond  of  filling 
the  ears  of  the  natives,  with  stories  of  their  great  salt-water 
lakes." 

"  And  why  shouldn't  they  !  I  dare  say  they  do  the  savages 
no  harm.  They  may  not  civilize  them,  but  they  will  not 
make  them  greater  barbarians  than  they  are.  Ay — ay — 
Eau-deuce,  that  must  mean  the  white  brandy,  which  is  no 
great  matter  after  all,  and  may  well  enough  be  called  the 
deuce,  for  deuced  stuff  it  is  !" 

"  The  signification  of  Eau-douce  is  sweet- water,  or  water 
that  can  be  drunk,  and  it  is  the  manner  in  which  the  French 
express  fresh-water,"  rejoined  Jasper,  a  little  nettled  at  the 
distinction  made  by  Cap,  although  the  latter  was  the  uncle  of 
Mabel. 

"  And  how  the  devil  do  they  make  water  out  of  Eau-in 
deuce,  when  it  means  brandy  in  Eau-de-vie  ?  This  may  be 
ihe  French  used  hereaway,  but  it  is  not  that  they  use  in  Burdux 
and  other  French  ports ;  besides,  among  seamen  Eau  always 
means  brandy,  and  Eau-de-vie,  brandy  of  a  high  proof.  I 
Ihink  nothing  of  your  ignorance,  young  man,  for  it  is  natural 


THE    PATHFINDER.  99 

to  your  situation,  and  cannot  be  helped.  If  you  will  return 
with  me,  and  make  a  v'y'ge  or  two,  on  the  Atlantic,  it  will 
serve  you  a  good  turn  the  remainder  of  your  days,  and  Mabel, 
there,  and  all  the  other  young  women,  near  the  coast,  will 
think  all  the  better  of  you,  should  you  live  to  be  as  old  as  one 
of  the  trees  in  this  forest." 

"  Nay,  nay,"  interrupted  the  single-hearted  and  generous 
guide,  "  Jasper  wants  not  for  friends  in  this  region,  I  can 
assure  you ;  and  though  seeing  the  world,  according  to  his 
habits,  may  do  him  good,  as  well  as  another,  we  shall  think 
none  the  worse  of  him  if  he  never  quits  us.  Eau-douce  or 
Eau-de-vie,  he  is  a  brave,  true-hearted  youth,  and  I  always 
sleep  as  sound  when  he  is  on  the  watch  as  if  I  was  up  and 
stirring  myself;  ay,  and  for  that  matter,  sounder  too.  The 
Serjeant's  daughter,  here,  doesn't  believe  it  necessary  for  the 
lad  to  go  to  sea,  in  order  to  make  a  man  of  him,  or  one  who 
is  worthy  to  be  respected  and  esteemed." 

Mabel  made  no  reply  to  this  appeal,  and  she  even  looked 
towards  the  western  shore,  although  the  darkness  rendered 
the  natural  movement  unnecessary  to  conceal  her  face.  But 
Jasper  felt  that  there  was  a  necessity  for  his  saying  some 
thing  ;  the  pride  of  youth  and  manhood  revolting  at  the  idea 
of  his  being  in  a  condition  not  to  command  the  respect  of  his 
fellows,  or  the  smiles  of  his  equals  of  the  other  sex.  Still 
he  was  unwilling  to  utter  aught  that  might  be  considered 
harsh,  to  the  uncle  of  Mabel ;  and  his  self-command  was,  per 
haps,  more  creditable  than  his  modesty  and  spirit. 

"  I  pretend  not  to  things  I  don't  possess,"  he  said,  "  and 
lay  no  claim  to  any  knowledge  of  the  ocean,  or  of  naviga 
tion.  We  steer  by  the  stars  and  the  compass  on  these  lakes, 
running  from  head-land  to  head-land,  and,  having  little  need 
of  figures  and  calculations,  make  no  use  of  them.  But,  we 
have  our  claims,  notwithstanding,  as  I  have  often  heard  from 
those  who  have  passed  years  on  the  ocean.  In  the  first  place, 
we  have  always  the  land  aboard,  and  much  of  the  time  on 
a  lee-shore,  and  that  I  have  frequently  heard  makes  hardy 
sailors.  Our  gales  are  sudden  and  severe,  and  we  are  com 
pelled  to  run  for  our  ports  at  all  hours — " 

"  You  have  your  leads,"  interrupted  Cap. 

"  They  are  of  littfe  use,  and  are  seldom  cast." 

"  The  deep-seas—" 


100  THE  PATHFINDER. 

"  I  have  heard  of  such  things,  but  confess  I  never  sav 
one." 

**  Oh !  deuce,  with  a  vengeance.  A  trader,  and  no  deep- 
sea  !  Why,  boy,  you  cannot  pretend  to  be  any  thing  of  a 
mariner.  Who  the  devil  ever  heard  of  a  seaman  without 
his  deep-sea?" 

"  I  do  not  pretend  to  any  particular  skill,  Master  Cap — " 

"  Except  in  shooting  falls,  Jasper ;  except  in  shooting  falls 
and  rifts,"  said  Pathfinder,  coming  to  the  rescue ;  "  in  which 
business,  even  you,  Master  Cap,  must  allow  he  has  some 
handiness.  In  my  judgment,  every  man  is  to  be  esteemed 
or  condemned  according  to  his  gifts,  and  if  Master  Cap  is 
useless  in  running  the  Oswego  falls,  I  try  to  remember  that 
he  is  useful  when  out  of  sight  of  land ;  and  if  Jasper  be 
useless  when  out  of  sight  of  land,  I  do  not  forget  that  he 
has  a  true  eye  and  steady  hand  when  running  the  falls." 

"  But  Jasper  is  not  useless — would  not  be  useless,  when 
out  of  sight  of  land,"  said  Mabel,  with  a  spirit  and  energy 
that  caused  her  clear  sweet  voice  to  be  startling,  amid  the 
solemn  stillness  of  that  extraordinary  scene.  "  No  one  can 
be  useless  there,  who  can  do  so  much  here,  is  what  I  mean ; 
though  I  dare  say,  he  is  not  as  well  acquainted  with  ships  as 
my  uncle." 

"  Ay,  bolster  each  other  up  in  your  ignorance,"  returned 
Cap,  with  a  sneer ;  "  we  seamen  are  so  much  out-numbered 
when  ashore,  that  it  is  seldom  we  get  our  dues ;  but  when 
you  want  to  be  defended,  or  trade  is  to  be  carried  on,  there  is 
outcry  enough  for  us." 

"  But,  uncle,  landsmen  do  not  come  to  attack  our  coasts ; 
so  that  seamen  only  meet  seamen." 

"So  much  for  ignorance! — Where  are  all  the  enemies 
that  have  landed  in  this  country,  French  and  English ;  let 
me  inquire,  niece?" 

"  Sure  enough,  where  are  they !"  ejaculated  Pathfinder. 
u  None  can  tell  better  than  we  who  dwell  in  the  woods,  Mas 
ter  Cap.  I  have  often  followed  their  line  of  march  by  bones 
bleaching  in  the  rain,  and  have  found  their  trail  by  graves, 
years  after  they  and  their  pride  had  vanished  together.  Gene 
rals  and  privates,  they  lay  scattered  throughout  the  land,  so 
many  proofs  of  what  men  are  when  led  on  by  their  love  of 
great  names,  and  the  wish  to  be  more  than  their  fellows  " 


THE  PATHFINDER.  101 

"  I  must  say,  Master  Pathfinder,  that  you  sometimes  utter 
opinions  that  are  a  little  remarkable,  for  a  man  who  lives  by 
the  rifle ;  seldom  snuffing  the  air  but  he  smells  gunpowder, 
or  turning  out  of  his  berth  but  to  bear  down  on  an  enemy." 

"  If  you  think  I  pass  my  days  in  warfare  against  my  kind, 
you  know  neither  me,  nor  my  history.  The  man  that  lives 
in  the  woods,  and  on  the  frontiers,  must  take  the  chances  of 
the  things  among  which  he  dwells.  For  this  I  am  not  ac 
countable,  being  but  an  humble  and  powerless  hunter,  and 
scout,  and  guide.  My  real  calling  is  to  hunt  for  the  army, 
on  its  marches,  and  in  times  of  peace ;  although  I  am  more 
especially  engaged  in  the  service  of  one  officer,  who  is  now 
absent  in  the  settlements,  where  I  never  follow  him.  No — 
no — bloodshed  and  warfare  are  not  my  real  gifts,  but  peace 
and  mercy.  Still,  I  must  face  the  enemy  as  well  as  another, 
and  as  for  a  Mingo,  I  look  upon  him,  as  man  looks  on  a 
snake — a  creatur'  .to  be  put  beneath  the  heel,  whenever  a 
fitting  occasion  offers." 

"  Well,  well — I  have  mistaken  your  calling,  which  I  had 
thought  as  regularly  warlike  as  that  of  a  ship's  gunner. 
There  is  my  brother-in-law,  now ;  he  has  been  a  soldier  since 
he  was  sixteen,  and  he  looks  upon  his  trade  as  every  way  as 
respectable  as  that  of  a  sea-faring  man,  which  is  a  point  1 
hardly  think  it  worth  while  to  dispute  with  him." 

"  My  father  has  been  taught  to  believe  that  it  is  honourable 
to  carry  arms,"  said  Mabel,  "  for  his  father  was  a  soldier 
before  him." 

"Yes,  yes" — resumed  the  guide — "most  of  the  Serjeant's 
gifts  are  martial,  and  he  looks  at  most  things  in  this  world 
over  the  barrel  of  his  musket.  One  of  his  notions  now,  is  to 
prefer  a  king's  piece  to  a  regular  double-sighted,  long-barreled 
rifle !  Such  conceits  will  come  over  men,  from  long  habit ; 
and  prejudice  is  perhaps  the  commonest  failing  of  human 
natur'." 

"  Ashore,  I  grant  you,"  said  Cap.  "  I  never  return  from 
a  v'y'ge,  but  I  make  the  very  same  remark.  Now,  the  last 
time  I  came  in,  I  found  scarcely  a  man  in  all  York,  who 
would  think  of  matters  and  things  in  general  as  I  thought 
about  them  myself.  Every  man  I  met  appeared  to  have 
bowsed  all  his  idees  up  into  the  wind's  eye,  and  when  he  die 
fall  off  a  littb  from  his  one-sided  notions,  it  was  commonly 
9* 


102  THE    PATHFINDER. 

to  ware  short  round  on  his  heel,  and  to  lay  up  as  close  as 
ever  on  the  other  tack." 

"Do  you  understand  this,  Jasper?" — the  smiling  Mabel 
half-whispered  to  the  young  man,  who  still  kept  his  own 
canoe  so  near,  as  to  be  close  at  her  side. 

"  There  is  not  so  much  difference  between  salt  and  fresh 
water,  that  we  who  pass  our  time  on  them  cannot  compre 
hend  each  other.  It  is  no  great  merit,  Mabel,  to  understand 
the  language  of  our  trade." 

"  Even  religion,"  continued  Cap,  "  isn't  moored  in  exactly 
the  same  place  it  was  in  my  young  days.  They  veer  and 
haul  upon  it  ashore,  as  they  do  on  all  other  things,  and  it  is 
no  wonder  if,  now  and  then,  they  get  jammed.  Every  thing 
seems  to  change  but  the  compass,  and  even  that  has  its  vari 
ations." 

"  Well,"  returned  the  Pathfinder,  "  I  thought  Christianity 
and  the  compass  both  pretty  stationary.". 

"  So  they  are,  afloat,  bating  the  variations.  Religion  at 
sea,  is  just  the  same  thing  to-day  that  it  was  when  I  first  put 
my  hand  into  the  tar-bucket.  No  one  will  dispute  it  who  has 
the  fear  of  God  before  his  eyes.  I  can  see  no  difference  be 
tween  the  state  of  religion  on  board  ship  now,  and  what  it 
was  when  I  was  a  younker.  But  it  is  not  so  ashore,  by  any 
means.  Take  my  word  for  it,  Master  Pathfinder,  it  is  a  dif 
ficult  thing  to  find  a  man — I  mean  a  landsman — who  views 
these  matters  to-day,  exactly  as  he  looked  at  them  forty  years 
ago." 

"And  yet  God  is  unchanged — his  works  are  unchanged 
—  his  holy  word  is  unchanged,  and  all  that  ought  to  bless 
and  honour  his  name,  should  be  unchanged  too ! " 

"  Not  ashore.  That  is  the  worst  of  the  land  ;  it  is  all  the 
while  in  motion,  I  tell  you,  though  it  looks  so  solid.  If  you 
plant  a  tree,  and  leave  it,  on  your  return  from  a  three  years' 
v'y'ge  you  dont  find  it,  at  all,  the  sort  of  thing  you  left  it. 
The  towns  grow,  and  new  streets  spring  up  ;  the  wharves  are 
altered  ;  and  the  whole  face  of  the  earth  undergoes  change. 
Now  a  ship  comes  back  from  an  India  v'y'ge  just  the  thing 
she  sailed,  bating  the  want  of  paint,  wear  and  tear,  and  the 
accidents  of  the  sea." 

"  That  is  too  true,  Master  Cap,  and  more's  the  pity.  Aha 
me! — the  things  they  call  improvements  and  betterments,  are 


THE  PATHFINDER.  103 

undermining  and  defacing  the  land !  The  glorious  works  of 
God  are  daily  cut  down  and  destroyed,  and  the  hand  of  man 
seems  to  be  upraised  in  contempt  of  his  mighty  will.  They 
tell  me  there  are  fearful  signs  of  what  we  may  all  come  to, 
to  be  met  with,  west  and  south  of  the  great  lakes,  though  I 
have  never  yet  visited  that  region." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Pathfinder  ?"  modestly  enquired 
Jasper. 

"  I  mean  the  spots  marked  by  the  vengeance  of  heaven, 
or  which,  perhaps,  have  been  raised  up  as  solemn  warnings 
to  the  thoughtless  and  wasteful,  hereaways.  They  call  them 
prairies,  and  I  have  heard  as  honest  Delawares  as  I  ever 
knew,  declare  that  the  finger  of  God  has  been  laid  so  heavily 
on  them,  that  they  are  totally  without  trees.  This  is  an 
awful  visitation  to  befall  innocent  earth,  and  can  only  mean 
to  show  to  what  frightful  consequences  a  heedless  desire  to 
destroy  may  lead." 

"  And  yet  I  have  seen  settlers  who  have  much  fancied 
these  open  spots,  because  they  saved  them  the  toil  of  clearing. 
You  relish  your  bread,  Pathfinder,  and  yet  wheat  will  not 
ripen  in  the  shade." 

"  But  honesty  will,  and  simple  wishes,  and  a  love  of  God, 
Jasper.  Even  Master  Cap  will  tell  you  a  treeless  plain  must 
resemble  a  desert  island." 

"  Why  that  as  it  may  be,"  put  in  Cap.  "  Desert  islands, 
too,  have  their  uses,  for  they  serve  to  correct  the  reckonings 
by.  If  my  taste  is  consulted,  I  shall  never  quarrel  with  a 
plain  for  wanting  trees.  As  nature  has  given  a  man  eyes  to 
look  about  with,  and  a  sun  to  shine,  were  it  not  for  ship 
building,  and  now  and  then  a  house,  I  can  see  no  great  use 
in  a  tree ;  especially  one  that  dont  bear  monkeys  or  fruit." 

To  this  remark  the  guide  made  no  answer,  beyond  a  low 
sound,  intended  to  enjoin  silence  on  his  companions.  While 
the  desultory  conversation  just  related  had  been  carried  on 
in  subdued  voices,  the  canoes  were  dropping  slowly  down 
with  the  current,  within  the  deep  shadows  of  the  western 
shore,  the  paddles  being  used  merely  to  preserve  the  desired 
direction  and  proper  positions.  The  strength  of  the  stream 
varied  materially,  the  water  being  seemingly  siill  in  places, 
while  in  other  reaches  it  flowed  at  a  rate  exceeding  two,  or 
eiren  three  miles,  in  the  hour.  On  the  rifts  it  even  dashed 


104  THE   PATHFINDER. 

forward  with  a  velocity  that  was  appalling  to  the  unpractised 
eye.  Jasper  was  of  opinion  that  they  might  drift  down  with 
the  current  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  in  two  hours  from  the 
time  they  left  the  shore,  and  he  and  the  Pathfinder  had  agreed 
on  the  expediency  of  suffering  the  canoes  to  float  of  them 
selves,  for  a  time,  or,  at  least,  until  they  had  passed  the  first 
dangers  of  their  new  movement.  The  dialogue  had  been 
carried  on  in  voices,  too,  guardedly  low ;  for,  though  the  quiet 
of  deep  solitude  reigned  in  that  vast  and  nearly  boundless 
forest,  nature  was  speaking  with  her  thousand  tongues,  in 
the  eloquent  language  of  night  in  a  wilderness.  The  air 
sighed  through  ten  thousand  trees,  the  water  rippled,  and,  at 
places,  even  roared  along  the  shores ;  and  now  and  then  was 
heard  the  creaking  of  a  branch,  or  a  trunk,  as  it  rubbed 
against  some  object  similar  to  itself,  under  the  vibrations  of  a 
nicely  balanced  body.  All  living  sounds  had  ceased.  Once, 
it  is  true,  the  Pathfinder  fancied  he  heard  the  howl  of  a  distant 
wolf,  of  which  a  few  prowled  through  these  woods,  but  it  was 
a  transient  and  doubtful  cry,  that  might  possibly  have  been 
attributed  to  the  imagination.  When  he  desired  his  compa 
nions,  however,  to  cease  talking,  in  the  manner  just  mentioned, 
his  vigilant  ear  had  caught  the  peculiar  sound  that  is  made 
by  the  parting  of  a  dried  branch  of  a  tree,  and  which,  if  his 
senses  did  not  deceive  him,  came  from  the  western  shore. 
All  who  are  accustomed  to  that  particular  sound,  will  under 
stand  how  readily  the  ear  receives  it,  and  how  easy  it  is  to 
distinguish  the  tread  which  breaks  the  branch  from  every 
other  noise  of  the  forest. 

"  There  is  the  footstep  of  a  man  on  the  bank,"  said  Path 
finder  to  Jasper,  speaking  in  neither  a  whisper  nor  yet  in  a 
voice  loud  enough  to  be  heard  at  any  distance.  "  Can  the 
accursed  Iroquois  have  crossed  the  river,  already,  with  theii 
arms,  and  without  a  boat  ?" 

"  It  may  be  the  Delaware !  He  would  follow  us  of  course 
down  this  bank,  and  would  know  where  to  look  for  us.  Let 
me  draw  closer  in  to  the  shore,  and  reconnoitre." 

"Go,  boy,  but  be  light  with  the  paddle,  and,  on  no  account, 
venture  ashore  on  an  onsartainty." 

"  Is  this  prudent  ?"  demanded  Mabel,  with  an  impetuosity 
that  rendered  her  incautious  in  modulating  her  sweet  voice. 

"  Very  imprudent,  if  you  speak  so  loud,  fair  one.     I  like 


THE   PATHFINDER.  105 

your  voice,  which  is  soft  and  pleasing,  after  listening  so  long 
to  the  tones  of  men ;  but  it  must  not  be  heard  too  much,  or 
too  freely,  just  now.  -Your  father,  the  honest  serjeant,  will 
tell  you,  when  you  meet  him,  that  silence  is  a  double  virtue 
on  a  trail.  Go,  Jasper,  and  do  justice  to  your  own  character 
for  prudence." 

Ten  anxious  minutes  succeeded  the  disappearance  of  the 
canoe  of  Jasper,  which  glided  away  from  that  of  the  Path 
finder  so  noiselessly,  that  it  had  been  swallowed  up  in  tho 
gloom  before  Mabel  allowed  herself  to  believe  the  young 
man  would  really  venture  alone,  on  a  service  that  struck  her 
imagination  as  singularly  dangerous.  During  this  time,  the 
party  continued  to  float  with  the  current,  no  one  speaking, 
and  it  might  almost  be  said,  no  one  breathing,  so  strong  was 
the  general  desire  to  catch  the  minutest  sound  that  should 
come  from  the  shore.  But  the  same  solemn,  we  might  indeed 
say  sublime,  quiet,  reigned  as  before ;  the  washing  of  the 
water,  as  it  piled  up  against  some  slight  obstruction,  and  the 
sighing  of  the  trees,  alone  interrupting  the  slumbers  of  the 
forest.  At  the  end  of  the  period  mentioned,  the  snapping  of 
dried  branches  were  again  faintly  heard,  and  the  Pathfinder 
fancied  that  the  sound  of  smothered  voices  reached  him. 

"  I  may  be  mistaken,"  he  said,  "  for  the  thoughts  often 
fancy  what  the  heart  wishes ;  but  these  were  notes  like  the 
LOW  tones  of  the  Delaware  !" 

"  Do  the  dead  of  the  savages  ever  walk  ?"  demanded  Cap. 

"  Ay,  and  run,  too,  in  their  happy  hunting-grounds,  but 
nowhere  else.  A  red-skin  finishes  with  the  'arth,  after  the 
breath  quits  the  body.  It  is  not  one  of  his  gifts  to  linger 
around  his  wigwam,  when  his  hour  has  passed." 

"  I  see  some  object  on  the  water,"  whispered  Mabel,  whose 
eye  had  not  ceased  to  dwell  on  the  body  of  gloom,  with 
close  intensity,  since  the  disappearance  of  Jasper. 

"  It  is  the  canoe !"  returned  the  guide,  greatly  relieved. 
ct  All  must  be  safe,  or  we  should  have  heard  from  the  lad." 

In  another  minute  the  two  canoes,  which  became  visible 
to  those  they  carried,  only  as  they  drew  near  each  other, 
again  floated  side  by  side,  and  the  form  of  Jasper  was  recog 
nised  at  the  stern  of  his  own  boat.  The  figure  of  a  second 
man  was  seated  in  the  bow,  and  as  the  young  sailor  so 
wielded  his  paddle,  as  tc  bring  the  face  of  his  companion 


106  THE    PATHFINDER. 

near  the  eyes  of  ths  Pathfinder  and  Mabel,  they  both  recog 
nised  the  person  of  the  Delaware. 

"  Chingachgook  —  my  brother !"  -said  the  guide,  in  the 
dialect  of  the  other's  people,  a  tremor  shaking  his  voice  that 
betrayed  the  strength  of  his  feelings—"  Chief  of  the  Mohi 
cans  !  my  heart  is  very  glad.  ^Often  have  we  passed  through 
blood  and  strife  together,  but  I  was  afraid  it  was  never  to  be 
so  again." 

"Hugh!  —  The  Mingos  are  squaws!  —  Three  of  their 
scalps  hang  at  my  girdle.  They  do  not  know  how  to  strike 
the  Great  Serpent  of  the  Delawares.  Their  hearts  have  no 
blood,  and  their  thoughts  are  on  their  return  path,  across  the 
waters  of  the  Great  Lake." 

"  Have  you  been  among  them,  chief? — and  what  has  be 
come  of  the  warrior  who  was  in  the  river  ?" 

"  He  has  turned  into  a  fish,  and  lies  at  the  bottom  with 
the  eels !  Let  his  brothers  bait  their  hooks  for  him.  Path 
finder,  I  have  counted  the  enemy,  and  have  touched  their 
rifles." 

"  Ah  !  I  thought  he  would  be  venturesome !"  exclaimed  the 
guide,  in  English.  "  The  risky  fellow  has  been  in  the  midst 
of  them,  and  has  brought  us  back  their  whole  history.  Speak, 
Chingachgook,  and  J  will  make  our  friends  as  knowing  as 
ourselves." 

The  Delaware  now  related  in  a  low  earnest  manner,  tho 
substance  of  all  his  discoveries  since  he  was  last  seen  strug 
gling  with  his  foe,  in  the  river.  Of  the  fate  of  his  antago 
nist  he  said  no  more,  it  not  being  usual  for  a  warrior  to  boast 
in  his  more  direct  and  useful  narratives.  As  soon  as  he  had 
conquered  in  that  fearful  strife,  however,  he  swam  to  the  east 
ern  shore,  landed  with  caution,  and  wound  his  way  in 
amongst  the  Iroquois,  concealed  by  the  darkness,  undetected, 
and,  in  the  main,  even  unsuspected.  Once,  indeed,  he  had 
been  questioned,  but  answering  that  he  was  Arrowhead,  no 
further  inquiries  were  made.  By  the  passing  remarks,  he 
soon  ascertained  that  the  party  was  out  expressly  to  intercept 
Mabel  and  her  uncle,  concerning  whose  rank,  however,  they 
had  evidently  been  deceived.  He  also  ascertained  enough 
to  justify  the  suspicion  that  Arrowhead  had  betrayed  them  to 
their  enemies,  for  some  motive  that  it  was  not  now  easy  to 
reach,  as  he  had  not  yet  received  the  reward  of  his  service**. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  107 

Pathfinder  communicated  no  more  of  this  intelligence  to 
Iris  companions  than  he  thought  might  relieve  their  appre 
hensions,  intimating  at  the  same  time,  that  now  was  the 
moment  for  exertion,  the  Iroquois  not  having  yet  entirely 
recovered  from  the  confusion  created  by  their  losses. 

"  We  shall  find  them  at  the  rift,  I  make  no  manner  of 
doubt,"  he  continued,  "and  there  it  will  be  our  fate  to  pass 
them,  or  to  fall  into  their  hands.  The  distance  to  the  garri 
son  will  then  be  so  short,  that  I  have  been  thinking  of  the 
plan  of  landing  with  Mabel,  myself,  that  I  may  take  her  in 
by  some  of  the  by-ways,  and  leave  the  canoes  to  their  chances 
in  the  rapids." 

"It  will  never  succeed,  Pathfinder,"  eagerly  interrupted 
Jasper.  "  Mabel  is  not  strong  enough  to  tramp  the  woods  in 
a  night  like  this.  Put  her  in  my  skiff,  and  I  will  lose  my  life, 
or  carry  her  through  the  rift  safely,  dark  as  it  is." 

"  No  doubt  you  will,  lad  ;  no  one  doubts  your  willingness 
to  do  anything  to  serve  the  Serjeant's  daughter ;  but  it  must 
be  the  eye  of  Providence,  and  not  your  own,  that  will  take 
you  safely  through  the  Oswego  rift  in  a  night  like  this." 

•'  And  who  will  lead  her  safely  to  the  garrison  if  she  land? 
Is  not  the  night  as  dark  on  shore  as  on  the  water  ?  or  do  you 
think  I  know  less  of  my  calling  than  you  know  of  yours  ?" 

"  Spiritedly  said,  lad;  but  if  I  should  lose  my  way  in  the 
dark,  and  I  believe  no  man  can  say  truly  that  such  a  thing 
ever  yet  happened  to  me — but,  if  I  should  lose  my  way,  no 
other  harm  would  come  of  it  than  to  pass  a  night  in  the 
forest,  whereas  a  false  turn  of  the  paddle,  or  a  broad  sheer 
of  the  canoe,  would  put  you  and  the  young  woman  into  the 
river,  out  of  which  it  is  more  than  probable  the  Serjeant's 
daughter  would  never  come  alive." 

"  I  will  leave  it  to  Mabel,  herself;  I  am  certain  that  she 
will  feel  more  secure  in  the  canoe." 

"  I  have  great  confidence  in  you  both,"  answered  the  girl, 
"  and  have  no  doubts  that  either  will  do  all  he  can  to  prove 
to  my  father  how  much  he  values  him ;  but  I  confess  I  should 
not  like  to  quit  the  canoe,  with  the  certainty  we  have  of  there 
being  enemies  like  those  we  have  seen,  in  the  forest.  But  my 
Uncle  can  decide  for  me,  in  this  matter." 

"  I  have  no  liking  for  the  woods,"  said  Cap,  "  while  one 
has  a  clear  drift  like  this  on  the  river.  Besides,  Master 


108  THE  PATHFINDER. 

Pathfinder  to  say  nothing  of  the  savages,  you  overioon  fe 
sharks." 

"  Sharks  !  who  ever  heard  of  sharks  in  the  wilderness?" 

"  Ay  !  sharks,  or  bears,  or  wolves — no  matter  what  yow 
call  a  thing,  so  it  has  the  mind  and  power  to  bite." 

"  Lord,  lord,  man ;  do  you  dread  any  creatur'  that  is  to 
be  found  in  the  American  forest  ?  A  catamount  is  a  skeary 
animal,  I  will  allow,  but  then  it  is  nothing  m  the  hands  of  a 
practised  hunter.  Talk  of  the  Mingos,  and  their  deviltries, 
if  you  will ;  but  do  not  raise  a  false  alarm  about  bears  and 
wolves." 

"  Ay,  ay,  Master  Pathfinder,  this  is  all  well  enough  for 
you,  who  probably  know  the  name  of  every  creature  you 
would  meet.  Use  is  every  thing,  and  it  makes  a  man  bold 
when  he  might  otherwise  be  bashful.  I  have  known  seamen 
in  the  low  latitudes,  swim  for  hours  at  a  time,  among  sharks 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  long,  and  think  no  more  of  what  they 
were  doing,  than  a  countryman  thinks  of  whom  he  is  amongst, 
when  he  comes  out  of  a  church-door  of  a  Sunday  afternoon." 

"  This  is  extraordinary  !"  exclaimed  Jasper,  who,  in  good 
sooth,  had  not  yet  acquired  that  material  part  of  his  trade, 
the  ability  to  spin  a  yarn.  "  I  have  always  heard  that  it  was 
certain  death  to  venture  in  the  water,  among  sharks!" 

"  I  forgot  to  say,  that  the  lads  always  took  capstan-bars, 
or  gunners'  handspikes,  or  crows  with  them,  to  rap  the  beasts 
over  the  noses,  if  they  got  to  be  troublesome.  No — no — I 
have  no  liking  for  bears  and  wolves,  though  a  whale,  in  my 
eye,  is  very  much  the  same  sort  of  fish  as  a  red-herring, 
after  it  is  dried  and  salted.  Mabel  and  I  had  better  stick  to 
the  canoe." 

"  Mabel  would  do  well  to  change  canoes,"  added  Jasper 
"  This  of  mine  is  empty,  and  even  Pathfinder  will  allow  thai 
my  eye  is  surer  than  his  own,  on  the  water." 

"  That  I  will,  cheerfully,  boy.  The  water  belongs  to  your 
gifts,  and  no  one  will  deny  that  you  have  improved  them  to 
the  utmost.  You  are  right  enough  in  believing  that  the  ser- 
jeont's  daughter  will  be  safer  in  your  canoe  than  in  this  j 
and,  though  I  would  gladly  keep  her  near  myself,  I  have  her 
welfare  too  much  at  heart,  not  to  give  her  honest  advice. 
Bring  your  canoe  close  alongside,  Jasper,  and  I  will  give 
you  what  you  must  consider  as  a  precious  treasure." 


THE   PATHFINDER.  100 

*'  I  do  so  consider  it,"  returned  the  youth,  not  losing  a  mo 
ment  in  complying  with  the  request ;  when  Mabel  passed 
from  one  canoe  to  the  other,  taking  her  seat  on  the  effects 
which  had  hitherto  composed  its  sole  cargo. 

As  soon  as  this  arrangement  was  made,  the  canoes  sepa 
rated  a  short  distance,  and  the  paddles  were  used,  though 
with  great  care  to  avoid  making  any  noise.  The  conversa 
tion  gradually  ceased,  and  as  the  dreaded  rift  was  appioach- 
ed,  all  became  impressed  with  the  gravity  of  the  moment. 
That  their  enemies  would  endeavour  to  reach  this  point  be* 
fore  them,  was  almost  certain ;  and  it  seemed  so  little  proba 
ble  any  one  should  attempt  to  pass  it,  in  the  profound  obscu 
rity  which  reigned,  that  Pathfinder  was  confident  parties  were 
on  both  sides  of  the  river,  in  the  hope  of  intercepting  them 
when  they  might  land.  He  would  not  have  made  the  pro 
posal  he  did,  had  he  not  felt  sure  of  his  own  ability  to 
convert  this  very  anticipation  of  success,  into  a  means  of 
defeating  the  plans  of  the  Iroquois.  As  the  arrangement  now 
stood,  however,  every  thing  depended  on  the  skill  of  those 
who  guided  the  canoes ;  for  should  either  hit  a  rock,  if  not 
split  asunder,  it  would  almost  certainly  be  upset,  and  then 
would  come  not  only  all  the  hazards  of  the  river  itself,  but, 
for  Mabel,  the  certainty  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  her  pur 
suers.  The  utmost  circumspection  consequently  became  ne 
cessary,  and  each  one  was  too  much  engrossed  with  his  own 
thoughts,  to  feel  a  disposition  to  utter  more  than  was  called 
for  by  the  exigencies  of  the  case. 

As  the  canoes  stole  silently  along,  the  roar  of  the  rift  be 
came  audible,  and  it  required  all  the  fortitude  of  Cap  to  keep 
his  seat,  while  these  boding  sounds  were  approached,  amid 
a  darkness  that  scarcely  permitted  a  view  of  the  outlines  of 
the  wooded  shore,  and  of  the  gloomy  vault  above  his  head. 
He  retained  a  vivid  impression  of  the  Falls,  and  his  imagina 
tion  was  not  now  idle,  in  swelling  the  dangers  of  the  rift  to 
a  level  with  those  of  the  headlong  descent  he  had  that  day 
made,  and  even  to  increase  them,  under  the  influence  of 
doubt  and  uncertainty.  In  this,  however,  the  old  marinei 
was  mistaken,  for  the  Oswego  Rift  and  the  Oswego  Falls  are 
very  different  in  their  characters  and  violence ;  the  former 
being  no  more  than  a  rapid,  that  glances  among  shallows 
10 


110  THE   PATHFINDER. 

and  rocks,  while  the  latter  really  deserved  the  name  it  bore, 
as  has  been  already  shown. 

Mabel  certainly  felt  distrust  and  apprehension;  but  her 
entire  situation  was  so  novel,  and  her  reliance  on  her  guide 
so  great,  that  she  retained  a  self-command  that  might  not 
have  existed  had  she  clearer  perceptions  of  the  truth,  or  been 
better  acquainted  with  the  helplessness  of  men,  when  placed 
in  opposition  to  the  power  and  majesty  of  nature. 

"  That  is  the  spot  you  have  mentioned  ?"  she  said  to  Jas 
per,  when  the  roar  of  the  rift  first  came  fresh  and  distinct 
on  her  ear. 

"  It  is ;  and  I  beg  you  to  have  confidence  in  me.  We  are 
not  old  acquaintances,  Mabel,  but  we  live  many  days  in  one, 
in  this  wilderness.  I  think  already,  that  I  have  known  you 
years  !" 

"And  I  do  not  feel  as  if  you  were  a  stranger  to  me,  Jasper. 
I  have  every  reliance  on  your  skill,  as  well  as  on  your  dispo 
sition  to  serve  me." 

"  We  shall  see — we  shall  see.  Pathfinder  is  striking  the 
rapids  too  near  the  centre  of  the  river.  The  bed  of  the  water 
is  closer  to  the  eastern  shore ;  but  I  cannot  make  him  hear 
me,  now.  Hold  firmly  to  the  canoe,  Mabel,  and  fear  no 
thing." 

At  the  next  moment,  the  swift  current  had  sucked  them 
into  the  rift,  and  for  the  three  or  four  minutes  the  awe-struck, 
rather  than  the  alarmed  girl,  saw  nothing  around  her  but 
sheets  of  glancing  foam ;  heard  nothing  but  the  roar  of  wa 
ters.  Twenty  times  did  the  canoe  appear  about  to  dash 
against  some  curling  and  bright  wave,  that  showed  itself  even 
amid  that  obscurity,  and  as  often  did  it  glide  away  again, 
unharmed ;  impelled  by  the  vigorous  arm  of  him  who  gov 
erned  its  movements.  Once,  and  once  only,  did  Jasper  seem 
to  lose  command  of  his  frail  bark,  during  which  brief  space 
it  fairly  whirled  entirely  round ;  but,  by  a  desperate  effort,  he 
brought  it  again  under  control,  recovered  the  lost  channel, 
and  was  soon  rewarded  for  all  his  anxiety  by  finding  himself 
floating  quietly  in  the  deep  water  below  the  rapids ;  secure 
from  every  danger,  and  without  having  taken  in  enough  of 
the  element  to  serve  for  a  draught. 

"  All  is  over,  Mabel,"  the  young  man  cried,  cheerfully, 


THE   PATHFINDER  111 

41  The  danger  is  past,  and  you  may  now,  indeed,  hope  to 
meet  your  father  this  very  night." 

"  God  be  praised !  Jasper,  we  shall  owe  this  great  hap 
piness  to  you !" 

"  The  Pathfinder  may  claim  a  full  share  in  the  merit ; — 
but  what  has  become  of  the  other  canoe  7" 

"  I  see  something  near  us  on  the  water:  is  it  not  the  boat 
of  our  friends  ?" 

A  few  strokes  of  the  paddle  brought  Jasper  to  the  side  of 
the  object  in  question.  It  was  the  other  canoe,  empty  and 
bottom  upwards.  No  sooner  did  the  young  man  ascertain 
this  fact,  than  he  began  to  search  for  the  swimmers ;  and,  to 
his  great  joy,  Cap  was  soon  discovered  drifting  down  with 
the  current ;  the  old  seaman  preferring  the  chances  of  drown 
ing,  to  those  of  landing  among  savages.  He  was  hauled  into 
the  canoe,  though  not  without  difficulty,  and  then  the  search 
ended ;  for  Jasper  was  persuaded  that  the  Pathfinder  would 
wade  to  the  shore,  the  water  being  shallow,  in  preference  to 
abandoning  his  beloved  rifle. 

The  remainder  of  the  passage  was  short,  though  made 
amid  darkness  and  doubt.  After  a  short  pause,  a  dull  roaring 
sound  was  heard,  which  at  times  resembled  the  mutterings 
of  distant  thunder,  and  then  again  brought  with  it  the  wash 
ing  of  waters.  Jasper  announced  to  his  companions  that 
they  now  heard  the  surf  of  the  lake.  Low,  curved  spits  of 
land  lay  before  them,  into  the  bay  formed  by  one  of  which 
the  canoe  glided,  and  then  it  shot  up  noiselessly  upon  a  gra 
velly  beach.  The  transition  that  followed  was  so  hurried 
and  great,  that  Mabel  scarce  knew  what  passed.  In  the 
course  of  a  few  minutes,  however,  sentinels  had  been  passed, 
a  gate  was  opened,  and  the  agitated  girl  found  herself  in  the 
arms  of  a  parent  who  was  almost  a  stranger  to  her. 


112  THE   PATHFINDER. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

**  A  land  of  love,  and  a  land  of  light, 
Withouten  sun,  or  moon,  or  night: 
Where  the  river  swa'd  a  living  stream, 
And  the  light  a  pure  celestial  beam: 
The  land  of  vision,  it  would  seem 
A  still,  an  everlasting  dream." 

QUEEN'S  WARB. 

THE  rest  that  succeeds  fatigue,  and  which  attends  a  new 
ly  awakened  sense  of  security,  is  generally  sweet  and  deep. 
Such  was  the  fact  with  Mabel,  who  did  not  rise  from  her 
humble  pallet,  such  a  bed  as  a  Serjeant's  daughter  might 
claim  in  a  remote  frontier  post,  until  long  after  the  garrison 
had  obeyed  the  usual  summons  of  the  drums,  and  had  as 
sembled  at  the  morning  parade.  Serjeant  Dunham,  on  whose 
shoulders  fell  the  task  of  attending  to  these  ordinary  and 
daily  duties,  had  got  through  all  his  morning  avocations,  and 
was  beginning  to  think  of  his  breakfast,  ere  his  child  left  her 
room,  and  came  into  the  fresh  air,  equally  bewildered,  de 
lighted,  and  grateful,  at  the  novelty  and  security  of  her  new 
situation. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  are  writing,  Oswego  was  one  of 
the  extreme  frontier  posts  of  the  British  possessions  on  this 
continent.  It  had  not  been  long  occupied,  and  was  garrison 
ed  by  a  battalion  of  a  regiment  that  had  been  originally 
Scotch,  but  into  which  many  Americans  had  been  received, 
since  its  arrival  in  this  country, — an  innovation  that  had  led 
the  way  to  Mabel's  father  filling  the  humble,  but  responsible, 
situation  of  the  oldest  serjeant.  A  few  young  officers,  also, 
who  were  natives  of  the  colonies,  were  to  be  found  in  the 
corps.  The  fort,  itself,  like  most  works  of  that  character, 
was  better  adapted  to  resist  an  attack  of  savages,  than  to 
withstand  a  regular  siege ;  but  the  gre%t  difficulty  of  trans 
porting  heavy  artillery,  and  other  necessaries,  rendered  the 
occurrence  of  the  latter,  a  probability  so  remote,  as  scarcely 
to  enter  into  the  estimate  of  the  engineers  who  had  planned 
the  defences.  There  were  bastions  of  earth  and  logs,  a  dry 
ditch,  a  stockade,  a  parade  of  considerable  extent,  and  bar- 


THE    PATHFINDER.  113 

racks  of  logs,  that  answered  the  double  purpose  of  dwellings 
and  fortifications.  A  few  light  field-pieces  stood  in  the  area 
of  the  fort,  ready  to  be  conveyed  to  any  point  where  they 
might  be  wanted,  and  one  or  two  heavy  iron  guns  looked  out 
from  the  summits  of  the  advanced  angles,  as  so  many  ad 
monitions  to  the  audacious  to  respect  their  power. 

When  Mabel,  quitting  the  convenient,  but  comparatively 
retired  hut,  where  her  father  had  been  permitted  to  place  her, 
issued  into  the  pure  air  of  the  morning,  she  found  herself  at 
the  foot  of  a  bastion,  that  lay  invitingly  before  her,  with  a 
promise  of  giving  a  coup  d'reil  of  all  that  had  been  conceal 
ed  in  the  darkness  of  the  preceding  night.  Tripping  up  the 
grassy  ascent,  the  light-hearted,  as  well  as  light-footed  girl, 
found  herself,  at  once,  on  a  point  where  the  sight,  at  a  few 
varying  glances,  could  take  in  all  the  external  novelties  of 
her  new  situation. 

To  the  southward  lay  the  forest  through  which  she  had 
been  journeying,  so  many  weary  days,  and  which  had 
proved  so  full  of  dangers.  It  was  separated  from  the  stock 
ade,  by  a  belt  of  open  land,  that  had  been  principally  cleared 
of  its  woods,  to  form  the  martial  constructions  around  her. 
This  glacis,  for  such  in  fact  was  its  military  uses,  might 
have  covered  a  hundred  acres.,  but  with  it  every  sign  of  civil 
ization  ceased.  All  beyond  was  forest ;  that  dense,  intermi 
nable  forest  that  Mabel  could  now  picture  to  herself,  through 
her  recollections,  with  its  hidden,  glassy  lakes,  its  dark,  roll 
ing  streams,  and  its  world  of  nature ! 

Turning  from  this  view,  our  heroine  felt  her  cheek  fanned 
by  a  fresh  and  grateful  breeze,  such  as  she  had  not  experi 
enced  since  quitting  the  far-distant  coast.  Here  a  new  scene 
presented  itself;  although  expected,  it  was  not  without  a 
start,  and  a  low  exclamation  indicative  of  pleasure,  that  the 
eager  eyes  of  the  girl  drunk  in  its  beauties.  To  the  north, 
and  east,  and  west,  in  every  direction,  in  short,  over  one  en 
tire  half  of  the  novel  panorama,  lay  a  field  of  rolling  waters. 
The  element  was  neither  of  that  glassy  green,  which  distin 
guishes  the  American  waters  in  general,  nor  yet  of  the  deep* 
blue  of  the  ocean  ;  the  colour  being  of  a  slightly  amber  hue, 
that  scarcely  affected  its  limpidity.  No  land  was  to  be  seen, 
with  the  exception  of  the  adjacent  coast,  which  stretched  to 
the  right  and  left,  in  an  unbroken  outline  of  forest,  with  wide 
10* 


114  THE    PATHFINDER. 

bays,  and  low  head-lands  or  points ;  still  much  of  the  shore 
was  rocky,  and  into  its  caverns  the  sluggish  waters  occasion 
ally  rolled,  producing  a  hollow  sound,  that  resembled  the 
concussions  of  a  distant  gun.  No  sail  whitened  the  surface, 
no  whale  or  other  fish  gambolled  on  its  bosom,  no  sign  of 
use,  or  service,  rewarded  the  longest  and  most  minute  gaze 
at  its  boundless  expanse.  It  was  a  scene,  on  one  side,  of 
apparently  endless  forests,  while  a  waste  of  seemingly  inter 
minable  water  spread  itself  on  the  other.  Nature  had  ap 
peared  to  delight  in  producing  grand  effects,  by  setting  two 
of  her  principal  agents  in  bold  relief  to  each  other,  neglect 
ing  details ;  the  eye  turning  from  the  broad  carpet  of  leaves, 
to  the  still  broader  field  of  fluid,  from  the  endless  but  gentle 
heavings  of  the  lake,  to  the  holy  calm  and  poetical  solitude 
of  the  forest,  with  wonder  and  delight. 

Mabel  Dunham,  though  unsophisticated,  like  most  of  her 
Country  women  of  that  period,  and  ingenuous  and  frank  as 
any  warm-hearted  and  sincere-minded  girl  well  could  be, 
was  not  altogether  without  a  feeling  for  the  poetry  of  this 
beautiful  earth  of  ours.  Although  she  could  scarcely  be  said 
to  be  educated  at  all,  for  few  of  her  sex,  at  that  day,  and  in 
this  country,  received  much  more  than  the  rudiments  of  plain 
English  instruction,  still  she  had  been  taught  much  more  than 
was  usual  for  young  women  in  her  own  station  in  life,  and, 
in  one  sense  certainly,  she  did  credk  to  her  teaching.  The 
widow  of  a  field-officer,  who  formerly  belonged  to  the  same 
regiment  as  her  father,  had  taken  the  child  in  charge  at  the 
death  of  its  mother,  and  under  the  care  of  this  lady,  Mabel 
had  acquired  some  tastes,  and  many  ideas,  which  otherwise 
might  always  have  remained  strangers  to  her.  Her  situation 
in  the  family  had  been  less  that  of  a  domestic  than  of  a 
humble  companion,  and  the  results  were  quite  apparent  in 
her  attire,  her  language,  her  sentiments,  and  even  in  her 
feelings,  though  neither,  perhaps,  rose  to  the  level  of  those 
which  would  properly  characterize  a  lady.  She  had  lost  the 
coarser  and  less  refined  habits  and  manners  of  one  in  her 
original  position,  without  having  quite  reached  a  point  that 
disqualified  her  for  the  situation  in  life  that  the  accidents  of 
birth  and  fortune  would  probably  compel  her  to  fill.  All 
else  that  was  distinctive  and  peculiar  in  her,  belonged  to  na 
tural  character. 


THE  PATHFINDER.  115 

With  such  antecedents,  it  will  occasion  the  reader  no 
wonder,  if  he  learns  that  Mabel  viewed  the  novel  scene  before 
her  with  a  pleasure  far  superior  to  that  produced  by  vulgar 
surprise.  She  felt  its  ordinary  beauties,  as  most  would  havo 
felt  them,  but  she  had  also  a  feeling  forjjtssublimity  ;  for  that 
softened  solitude,  that  calm  grandeur,  and  eloquent  repose  that 
ever  pervades  broad  views  of  natural  objects  which  are  yet 
undisturbed  by  the  labours  and  struggles  of  man. 

"  How  beautiful !"  she  exclaimed,  unconscious  of  speaking, 
as  she  stood  on  the  solitary  bastion,  facing  the  air  from  the 
lake,  and  experiencing  the  genial  influence  of  its  freshness 
pervading  both  her  body  and  her  mind.  "  How  very  beau 
tiful  ;  and  yet  how  singular !" 

The  words,  and  the  train  of  her  ideas,  were  interrupted  by 
a  touch  of  a  finger  on  her  shoulder,  and  turning,  in  the 
expectation  of  seeing  her  father,  Mabel  found  Pathfinder  at 
her  side.  He  was  leaning  quietly  on  his  long  rifle,  and 
laughing  in  his  quiet  manner,  while,  with  an  outstretched 
arm,  he  swept  over  the  whole  panorama  of  land  and  water. 

"  Here  you  have  both  our  domains,"  he  said,  "  Jasper's 
and  mine.  The  lake  is  for  him,  and  the  woods  are  for  me. 
The  lad  sometimes  boasts  of  the  breadth  of  his  dominions,  but 
I  tell  him  my  trees  make  as  broad  a  plain  on  the  face  of 
this  'arth,  as  all  his  water.  Well,  Mabel,  you  are  fit  for 
either,  for  I  do  not  see  that  fear  of  the  Mingos,  or  night 
marches  can  destroy  your  pretty  looks." 

"  It  is  a  new  character  for  the  Pathfinder  to  appear  in,  to 
compliment  a  silly  girl." 

"  Not  silly,  Mabel ;  no,  not  in  the  least  silly.  The  ser- 
jeant's  daughter  would  do  discredit  to  her  worthy  father, 
were  she  to  do,  or  say,  any  thing  that,  in  common  honesty, 
could  be  called  silly." 

"  Then  she  must  take  care  and  not  put  too  much  faith  in 
treacherous,  flattering  words.  But,  Pathfinder,  I  rejoice  to 
s^e  you  among  us  again  ;  for,  though  Jasper  did  not  seern  to 
feel  much  uneasiness,  I  was  afraid  some  accident  might  have 
happened  to  you  and  your  friend,  on  that  frightful  rift." 

"  The  lad  kows  us  both,  and  was  sartain  that  we  should 
not  drown,  which  is  scarcely  one  of  my  gifts.  It  would  have 
been  hard  swimming,  of  a  sartainty,  with  a  long-barrelled 
lifle  in  the  hand ;  and  what  between  the  game,  and  the  sa- 


116  THE  PATHFINDER. 

vages,  and  the  French,  Killdeer  and  I  have  gone  through  too 
much  in  company,  to  part  very  easily.  No — no — we  waded 
ashore,  the  rift  being  shallow  enough  for  that,  with  small  ex 
ceptions,  and  we  landed  with  our  arms  in  our  hands.  We 
had  to  take  our  time  for  it,  on  account  of  the  Iroquois,  I  will 
own ;  but,  as  soon  as  the  skulking  vagabonds  saw  the  lights 
that  the  serjeant  sent  down  to  your  canoe,  we  well  under 
stood  they  would  decamp,  since  a  visit  might  have  been  ex 
pected  from  some  of  the  garrison.  So  it  was  only  sitting 
patiently  on  the  stones,  for  an  hour,  and  all  the  danger  was 
over.  Patience  is  the  greatest  of  virtues  in  a  woodsman." 

"  I  rejoice  to  hear  this,  for  fatigue  itself  could  scarcely 
make  me  sleep,  for  thinking  of  what  might  befall  you." 

"  Lord  bless  your  tender  little  heart,  Mabel !  But  this  is 
the  way,  with  all  you  gentle  ones.  I  must  say,  on  my  part, 
however,  that  I  was  right  glad  to  see  the  lanterns  come  down 
to  the  water-side,  which  I  knew  to  be  a  sure  sign  of  your 
safety.  We  hunters  and  guides  are  rude  beings,  but  we  have 
our  feelings,  and  our  idees,  as  well  as  any  general  in  the 
army.  Both  Jasper  and  I  would  have  died,  before  you  should 
have  come  to  harm — we  would  !" 

"  I  thank  you  for  all  you  did  for  me,  Pathfinder ;  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart,  I  thank  you,  and  depend  on  it  my 
father  shall  know  it.  I  have  already  told  him  much,  but 
have  still  a  duty  to  perform,  on  this  subject." 

"  Tush.  Mabel !  The  serjeant  knows  what  the  woods  be, 
and  what  men — true  red-men  be,  too.  There  is  little  neei 
to  tell  him  any  thing  about  it.  Well,  now  you  have  met 
your  father,  do  you  find  the  honest  old  soldier  the  sort  of 
person  you  expected  to  find  ?" 

"  He  is  my  own  dear  father,  and  received  me  as  a  soldier 
and  a  father  should  receive  a  child.  Have  you  known  him 
long,  Pathfinder  ?" 

"That  is  as  people  count  time.  I  was  just  twelve  when  the 
serjeant  took  me  on  my  first  scouting,  and  that  is  now  more 
than  twenty  years  ago.  We  had  a  tramping  time  of  it,  and 
as  it  was  before  your  day,  you  would  have  had  no  father, 
had  not  the  rifle  been  one  of  my  natural  gifts." 

"  Explain  yourself." 

"  It  is  too  simple  for  many  words.  We  were  ambushed, 
and  the  serjeant  got  a  bad  hurt,  and  would  have  lost  his 


THE    PATHFINDER.  117 

scalp,  but  for  a.  sort  of  inbred  turn  I  took  to  the  weapon. 
We  brought  him  off,  however,  and  a  handsomer  head  of 
hair,  for  his  time  of  life,  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  rijiment, 
than  the  serjeant  carries  about  with  him,  this  blessed  day." 

"  You  saved  my  father's  life,  Pathfinder !"  exclaimed  Ma 
bel,  unconsciously,  though  warmly,  taking  one  of  his  hard 
sinewy  hands  into  both  her  own.  "  God  bless  you  for  this, 
too,  among  your  other  good  acts." 

"  Nay,  I  did  not  say  that  much,  though  I  believe  I  did 
save  his  scalp.  A  man  might  live  without  a  scalp,  and  so  I 
cannot  say  I  saved  his  life.  Jasper  may  say  that  much  con- 
sar-ning  you  ;  for  without  his  eye  and  arm  the  canoe  would 
never  have  passed  the  rift  in  safety,  on  a  night  like  the  last. 
The  gifts  of  the  lad  are  for  the  water,  while  mine  are  for  the 
hunt  and  the  trail.  He  is  yonder,  in  the  cove,  there,  look 
ing  after  the  canoes,  and  keeping  an  eye  on  his  beloved  little 
craft.  To  my  eye,  there  is  no  likelier  youth,  in  these  parts, 
than  Jasper  Western." 

For  the  first  time  since  she  had  left  her  room,  Mabel  now 
turned  her  eyes  beneath  her,  and  got  a  view  of  what  might 
be  called  the  fore-ground  of  the  remarkable  picture  she  had 
been  studying  with  so  much  pleasure.  The  Oswego  threw 
its  dark  waters  into  the  lake,  between  banks  of  some  height ; 
that  on  its  eastern  side,  being  bolder  and  projecting  farther 
north  than  that  on  its  western.  The  fort  was  on  the  latter, 
and  immediately  beneath  it,  were  a  few  huts  of  logs,  which, 
as  they  could  not  interfere  with  the  defence  of  the  place,  had 
been  erected  along  the  strand  for  the  purpose  of  receiving 
and  containing  such  stores  as  were  landed,  or  were  intended 
to  be  embarked  in  the  communications  between  the  different 
ports  on  the  shores  of  Ontario.  There  were  two  low,  curved 
gravelly  points,  that  had  been  formed  with  surprising  regu 
larity  by  the  counteracting  forces  of  the  northerly  winds  and 
the  swift  current,  and  which,  inclining  from  the  storms  of 
the  lake,  formed  two  coves  within  the  river.  That  on  the 
western  side  was  the  most  deeply  indented,  and  as  it  also 
had  the  most  water,  it  formed  a  sort  of  picturesque  little  port, 
for  the  post.  It  was  along  the  narrow  strand  that  lay  between 
the  low  height  of  the  fort  and  the  water  of  this  cove,  that  the 
rude  buildings,  just  mentioned,  had  been  erected. 

Several  skiffs,  batteaux  and  canoes  were  hauled  up  on  the 


118  THE    PATHFINDER. 

shore,  and  in  the  cove  itself  lay  the  litt/e  craft,  irorn  which 
Jasper  obtained  his  claim  to  be  considered  a  sailor.  She  was 
cutter-rigged,  might  have  been  of  forty  tons  burthen,  was  so 
neatly  constructed  and  painted  as  to  have  something  of  the 
air  of  a  vessel  of  war,  though  entirely  without  quarters,  and 
rigged  and  sparred  with  so  scrupulous  a  regard  to  proportions 
and  beauty,  as  well  as  fitness  and  judgment,  as  to  give  her 
an  appearance  that  even  Mabel  at  once  distinguished  to  be 
gallant  and  trim.  Her  mould  was  admirable,  for  a  wright 
of  great  skill  had  sent  her  drafts  from  England  at  the_ 
express  request  of  the  officer  who  had  caused  her  to  be  con 
structed  ;  her  paint  dark,  warlike  and  neat ;  and  the  long 
coach-whip  pennant  that  she  wore,  at  once  proclaimed  her 
to  be  the  property  of  the  king.  Her  name  was  the  Scud. 

"  That,  then,  is  the  vessel  of  Jasper !"  said  Mabel,  who 
associated  the  master  of  the  little  craft  quite  naturally  with 
the  cutter  itself.  "Are  there  many  others  on  this  lake?" 

"  The  Frerichers  have  three  ;  one  of  which  they  tell  me  is 
a  real  ship,  such  as  are  used  on  the  o'cean,  another  a  brig, 
and  a  third  is  a  cutter,  like  the  Scud,  here,  which  they  call 
the  Squirrel,  in  their  own  tongueTfidwever ;  and  which  seems 
to  have  a  natural  hatred  of  our  own  pretty  boat,  for  Jasper 
seldom  goes  out  that  the  Squirrel  is  not  at  his  heels." 

"  And  is  Jasper  one  to  run  from  a  Frenchman,  though  he 
appears  in  the  shape  of  a  squirrel,  and  that,  too,  on  the 
water !" 

"  Of  what  use  would  valour  be  without  the  means  of  turn 
ing  it  to  account  1  Jasper  is  a  brave  boy,  as  all  on  this  fron 
tier  know ;  but  he  has  no  gun  except  a  little  howitzer,  and  then 
his  crew  consists  only  of  two  men  besides  himself,  and  a  boy. 
I  was  with  him  in  one  of  his  trampooses,  and  the  youngster 
was  risky  enough,  for  he  brought  us  so  near  the  enemy  that 
rifles  began  to  talk;  but  the  Frenchers  carry  cannon,  and 
ports,  and  never  show  their  faces  outside  of  Frontenac,  with 
out  having  some  twenty  men,  besides  their  Squirrel,  in  their 
cutter.  No — no — this  Scud  was  built  for  flying,  and  the 
Major  says  he  will  not  put  her  in  a  fighting  humour,  by  giv 
ing  her  men  and  arms,  lest  she  should  take  him  at  his  word, 
and  get  her  wings  clipped.  I  know  little  of  these  things,  for 
my  gifts  are  not  at  all  in  that  way ;  but  I  see  the  reason  of 
the  thing — I  see  its  reason,  though  Jasper  does  not." 


THE   PATHFINDER.  119 

"  An !  here  is  my  uncle,  none  the  ivorse  for  his  swim, 
coming  to  look  at  this  inland  sea." 

Sure  enough,  Cap,  who  had  announced  his  approach  by  a 
couple  of  lusty  hems,  now  made  his  appearance  on  the  bas 
tion,  where,  after  nodding  to  his  niece  and  her  companion, 
he  made  a  deliberate  survey  of  the  expanse  of  water  before 
him.  In  order  to  effect  this  at  his  ease,  the  mariner  mounted 
on  one  of  the  old  iron  guns,  folded  his  arms  across  his  breast, 
and  balanced  h^  body,  as  if  he  felt  the  motion  of  a  vessel. 
To  complete  the  picture,  he  had  a  short  pipe  in  his  mouth. 

"  Well,  Master  Cap,"  asked  the  Pathfinder  innocently,  for 
he  did  not  detect  the  expression  of  contempt  that  was  gradu 
ally  settling  on  the  features  of  the  other,  "  is  it  not  a  beautiful 
sheet,  and  fit  to  be  named  a  sea  ?" 

«'  This,  then,  is  what  you  call  your  lake  ?"  demanded  Cap, 
sweeping  the  northern  horizon  with  his  pipe.  "  I  say,  is 
this,  really,  your  lake?" 

"  Sartain ;  and,  if  the  judgment  of  one  who  has  lived  on 
the  shores  of  many  others  can  be  taken,  a  very  good  lake 
it  is." 

"  Just  as  I  expected !  A  pond  in  dimensions,  and  a  scuttle- 
butt  in  taste.  It  is  all  in  vain  to  travel  inland,  in  the  hope  of 
seeing  any  thing  either  full-grown  or  useful.  I  knew  it  would 
turn  out  just  in  this  way." 

"What  is  the  matter  with  Ontario,  Master  Cap?  It  is 
large,  and  fair  to  look  at,  and  pleasant  enough  to  drink,  for 
those  who  can't  get  at  the  water  of  the  springs." 

"  Do  you  call  this  large  ?"  asked  Cap,  again  sweeping  the 
air  with  the  pipe.  "  I  will  just  ask  you  what  there  is  large 
about  it?  Didn't  Jasper  himself  confess  that  it  was  only 
some  twenty  leagues  from  shore  to  shore? 

"  But  uncle,"  interposed  Mabel,  "  no  land  is  to  be  seen, 
except  here  on  our  own  coast.  To  me  it  looks  exactly  like 
the  ocean." 

"  This  bit  of  a  pond  look  like  the  ocean  !  Well,  Magnet, 
that  from  a  girl  who  has  had  real  seamen  in  her  family  is 
downright  nonsense.  What  is  there  about  it,  pray,  that  has 
even  the  outline  of  a  sea  on  it  ?" 

"  Why,  there  is  water — water — water — nothing  but  water, 
for  miles  on  miles — far  as  the  eye  can  see." 

"And  isn't  there  water — water — water — nothing  but  water 


120  THE  PATHFINDER. 

for  miles  on  miles,  in  your  rivers,  that  you  have  been  ca 
noeing  through,  too  ? — ay,  and  *  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see/ 
in  the  bargain  1" 

"  Yes,  uncle,  but  the  rivers  have  their  banks,  and  there 
are  trees  along  them,  and  they  are  narrow." 

"  And  isn't  this  a  bank  where  we  stand — don't  these  sol 
diers  call  this  the  bank  of  the  lake,  and  ar'n't  there  trees  in 
thousands,  and  ar'n't  twenty  leagues  narrow  enough  of  all 
conscience  1  Who  the  devil  ever  heard  of  the  banks  of  the 
ocean,  unless  it  might  be  the  banks  that  are  under  water  ?" 

"  But,  uncle,  we  cannot  see  across  this  lake,  as  we  can 
see  across  a  river." 

"  There  you  are  out,  Magnet.  Ar'n't  the  Amazon,  and 
Oronoco,  and  La  Plata  rivers,  and  can  you  see  across  them  ? 
Harkee,  Pathfinder,  I  very  much  doubt  if  this  stripe  of  water 
here,  be  even  a  lake;  for  to  me  it  appears  to  be  only  a  river. 
You  are  by  no  means  particular  about  your  geography,  I 
find,  up  here  in  the  woods." 

'  There  you  are  out,  Master  Cap.  There  is  a  river,  and 
a  noble  one  too,  at  each  end  of  it ;  but  this  is  old  Ontario  be 
fore  you,  and,  though  it  is  not  my  gift  to  live  on  a  lake,  to 
my  judgment  there  are  few  better  than  this." 

"  And,  uncle,  if  we  stood  on  the  beach  at  Rockaway,  what 
more  should  we  see,  than  we  now  behold  1  There  is  a  shore 
on  one  side,  or  banks  there,  and  trees,  too,  as  well  as  those 
which  are  here." 

"  This  is  perverseness,  Magnet,  and  young  girls  should 
steer  clear  of  any  thing  like  obstinacy.  In  the  first  place, 
the  ocean  has  coasts,  but  no  banks,  except  the  Grand  Banks, 
as  I  tell  you,  which  are  out  of  sight  of  land ;  and  you  will 
not  pretend  that  this  bank  is  out  of  sight  of  land,  or  even 
under  water  V 

As  Mabel  could  not  very  plausibly  set  up  this  extravagant 
opinion,  Cap  pursued  the  subject,  his  countenance  beginning 
to  discover  the  triumph  of  a  successful  disputant. 

"  And  then  them  trees  bear  no  comparison  to  these  trees. 
The  coasts  of  the  ocean  have  farms,  and  cities,  and  country- 
seats,  and,  in  some  parts  of  the  world,  castles  and  monaste 
ries,  and  light-houses—ay — ay — light-houses,  in  particular, 
•jn  them ;  not  one  of  all  which  things  is  to  be  seen  here. 
No— no— -Master  Pathfinder,  I  never  heard  of  an  ocean  that 


THE    PATHFINDER.  121 

hadn't  more  or  less  light-houses  on  it,  whereas,  hereaway, 
there  is  not  even  a  beacon." 

"  There  is  what  is  better — there's  what  is  better ;  a  forest 
and  noble  trees,  a  fit  temple  of  God." 

"  Ay,  your  forest  may  do  for  a  lake,  but  of  what  use  would 
an  ocean  be,  if  the  earth  all  around  it  were  forest?  Ships 
would  be  unnecessary,  as  timber  might  be  floated  in  rafts, 
and  there  would  be  an  end  of  trade,  and  what  would  a  world 
be  without  trade,  I  am  of  that  philosopher's  opinion,  who 
says,  human  nature  was  invented  for  the  purposes  of  trade. 
Magnet,  I  am  astonished  that  you  should  think  this  water 
even  looks  like  sea- water !  Now,  I  dare  say,  that  there 
isn't  such  a  thing  as  a  whale,  in  all  your  lake,  Master 
Pathfinder!" 

"  I  never  heard  of  one,  I  will  confess,  but  I  am  no  judge 
of  animals  that  live  in  the  water,  unless  it  be  the  fishes  of  the 
rivers  and  the  brooks." 

"  Nor  a  grampus,  nor  a  porpoise  even ;  not  so  much  as  a 
poor  devil  of  a  shark  ?" 

"  I  will  not  take  it  on  myself  to  say  there  is  either.  My 
gifts  are  not  in  that  way,  I  tell  you,  Master  Cap." 

"Nor  herring,  nor  albatross,  nor  flying-fish" — continued 
Cap,  who  kept  his  eye  fastened  on  the  guide,  in  order  to  see 
how  far  he  might  venture.  "  No  such  thing  as  a  fish  that 
can  fly,  I  dare  say  1" 

"  A  fish  that  can  fly  !  Master  Cap — Master  Cap,  do  not 
think  because  we  are  mere  borderers,  that  we  have  no  idees 
of  natur',  and  what  she  has  been  pleased  to  do.  I  know  there 
are  squirrels  that  can  fly — " 

"  A  squirrel  fly ! — the  devil,  Master  Pathfinder.  Do  you 
suppose  that  you  have  got  a  boy  on  his  first  v'y'ge,  up  here 
among  you  ?" 

"  I  know  nothing  of  your  v'y'ges,  Master  Cap,  though  I 
suppose  them  to  have  been  many ;  but,  as  for  what  belongs 
to  natur'  in  the  woods,  what  I  have  seen  I  may  tell,  and  not 
fear  the  face  of  man." 

"  And  do  you  wish  me  to  understand  that  you  have  seen 
a  squirrel  fly  ?" 

"  If  you  wish  to  understand  the  power  of  God,  Master  Cap, 
you  will  do  well  to  believe  that,  and  many  other  things  of  n 
like  natur'  for  you  may  be  quite  sartain  it  is  true." 

"ii 


122  THE    PATHFINDER. 

«  And  yet,  Pathfinder,"  said  Mabel.,  looking  so  pretty  and 
sweet  even  while  she  played  with  the  guide's  infirmity,  that 
he  forgave  her  in  his  heart — "  you,  who  speak  so  reverently 
of  the  power  of  the  Deity,  appear  to  doubt  that  a  fish  can  fly?" 

"  I  have  not  said  it — I  have  not  said  it ;  and,  if  Master  Cap 
is  ready  to  testify  to  the  fact,  unlikely  as  it  seems,  I  am  will, 
ing  to  try  to  think  it  true.  I  think  it  every  man's  duty  to 
believe  in  the  power  of  God,  however  difficult  it  may  be." 

"  And  why  isn't  my  fish  as  likely  to  have  wings  as  your 
squirrel  ?"  demanded  Cap,  with  more  logic  than  was  his  wont. 
"  That  fishes  do  and  can  fly,  is  as  true  as  it  is  reasonable — " 

"  Nay,  that  is  the  only  difficulty  in  believing  the  story," 
rejoined  the  guide.  "  It  seems  unreasonable  to  give  an  ani 
mal  that  lives  in  the  water  wings,  which  seemingly  can  be 
of  no  use  to  them." 

"  And  do  you  suppose  that  the  fishes  are  such  asses  as  to 
fly  about  under  water,  wben  they  are  once  fairly  fitted  out 
with  wings  ?" 

"  Nay,  I  know  nothing  of  the  matter,  but  that  fish  should 
fly  in  the  air  seems  more  contrary  to  natur'  still,  than  that 
they  should  fly  in  their  own  element ;  that,  in  which  they 
were  born  and  brought  up,  as  one  might  say." 

"  So  much  for  contracted  ideas,  Magnet.  The  fish  fly  out 
of  water  to  run  away  from  their  enemies  in  the  water ;  and 
there  you  see  not  only  the  fact,  but  the  reason  for  it." 

"  Then  I  suppose  it  must  be  true,"  said  the  guide,  quietly. 
"  How  long  are  their  flights '?" 

"  Not  quite  as  far  as  those  of  pigeons,  perhaps,  but  far 
enough  to  make  an  offing.  As  for  those  squirrels  of  yours, 
we'll  say  no  more  about  them,  friend  Pathfinder,  as  I  sup 
pose  they  were  mentioned  just  as  a  make-weight  to  the  fish, 
in  favour  of  the  woods.  But  what  is  this  thing,  anchored 
here  under  the  hill  ?" 

"That  is  the  cutter  of  Jasper,  uncle,"  said  Mabel,  hurried- 
ly — "  and  a  very  pretty  vessel  I  think  it  is.  Its  name,  too, 
is  the  Scud." 

"  Ay,  it  will  do  well  enough  for  a  lake,  perhaps,  but  it 's 
no  great  affair.  The  lad  has  got  a  standing  bowsprit,  and 
who  ever  saw  a  cutter  with  a  standing  bowsprit,  before !" 

"  But  may  there  not  be  some  good  reason  for  it,  on  a,  lake 
like  this,  uncle  V9 


THE  PATHFINDER.  123 

"Sure  enough — I  must  remember  this  is  not  the  ocean, 
though  it  does  look  so  much  like  it." 

"  Ah !  uncle,  then  Ontario  does  look  like  the  ocean,  after 
all !" 

"  In  your  eyes,  I  mean,  and  those  of  Pathfinder ;  not  in 
the  least  in  mine,  Magnet.  Now  you  might  set  me  down, 
out  yonder,  in  the  middle  of  this  bit  of  a  pond,  and  that  too 
in  the  darkest  night  that  ever  fell  from  the  heavens,  and  in 
the  smallest  canoe,  and  I  could  tell  you  it  was  only  a  lake. 
For  that  matter,  the  Dorothy  (the  name  of  his  vessel)  would 
find  it  out  as  quick  as  I  could  myself.  I  do  not  believe  that 
brig  would  make  more  than  a  couple  of  short  stretches  at  the 
most,  before  she  would  perceive  the  difference  between  On 
tario  and  the  old  Atlantic.  I  once  took  her  down  into  one 
of  the  large  South  American  bays,  and  she  behaved  herself  as 
Awkwardly  as  a  booby  would  in  a  church,  with  the  congrega 
tion  in  a  hurry.  And  Jasper  sails  that  boat  ?  I  must  have  a 
cruise  with  the  lad,  Magnet,  before  I  quit  you,  just  for  the 
name  of  the  thing.  It  would  never  do  to  say  I  got  in  sight 
of  this  pond,  and  went  away  without  taking  a  trip  on  it." 

"  Well,  well,  you  needn't  wait  long  for  that,"  returned 
Pathfinder — "  for  the  serjeant  is  about  to  embark  with  a 
party,  to  relieve  a  post  among  the  Thousand  Islands,  and, 
as  I  heard  him  say,  he  intended  that  Mabel  should  go  along, 
you  can  join  company  too." 

"Is  this  true,  Magnet?" 

"  I  believe  it  is,"  returned  the  girl,  a  flush  so  imperceptible 
as  to  escape  the  observation  of  her  companions,  glowing  on 
her  cheeks,  "  though  I  have  had  so  little  opportunity  to  talk 
with  my  dear  father,  that  I  am  not  quite  certain.     Here  he 
comes,  however,  and  you  can  inquire  of  himself." 
/      Notwithstanding  his  humble  rank,  there  was  something  in 
i    the  mien  and  character  of  serjeant  Dunham  that  commanded 
_  respect.     Of  a  tall  imposing  figure,  grave  and  saturnine  dis 
position,  and  accurate  and  precise  in  his  acts  and  manner  of 
thinking,  even  Cap,  dogmatical  and  supercilious  as  he  usually 
was  with  landsmen,  did  not  presume  to  take  the  same  liber 
ties  with  the  old  soldier,  as  he  did  with  his  other  friends.     It 
was  often   remarked  that  serjeant  Dunham   received  more 
true  respect  from  Duncan  of  Lundie,  the  Scotch  laird  who 
commanded  the  post,  than  most  of  the  subalterns ;  for  expe- 


124  THE   PATHFINDER. 

rience  and  tried  services  were  of  quite  as  much  value  in  the 
eyes  of  the  veteran  major,  as  birth  and  money.  While  the 
serjeant  never  even  hoped  to  rise  any  higher,  he  so  far 
respected  himself  and  his  present  station,  as  always  to  act  in 
a  way  to  command  attention ;  and  the  habit  of  mixing  so 
much  with  inferiors,  whose  passions  and  dispositions  he  felt 
it  necessary  to  restrain  by  distance  and  dignity,  had  so  far 
coloured  his  whole  deportment,  that  few  were  altogether  free 
from  its  influence.  While  the  captains  treated  him  kindly, 
and  as  an  old  comrade,  the  lieutenants  seldom  ventured  to 
dissent  from  his  military  opinions ;  and  the  ensigns,  it  was 
remarked,  actually  manifested  a  species  of  respect,  that 
amounted  to  something  very  like  deference.  It  is  no  won 
der  then,  that  the  announcement  of  Mabel  put  a  sudden  ter 
mination  to  the  singular  dialogue  we  have  just  related,  though 
it  had  been  often  observed  that  the  Pathfinder  was  the  only 
man,  on  that  frontier,  beneath  the  condition  of  a  gentleman. 


who  presumed  to  treat  the  serjeant  at  all  as  an  equal,  or  even 
with  the  cordial  familiarity  of  a  friend. 

"  Good  morrow,  brother  Cap,"  said  the  serjeant,  giving  the 
military  salute,  as  he  walked,  in  a  grave,  stately  manner  on 
the  bastion.  "  My  morning  duty  has  made  me  seem  forgetful 
of  you  and  Mabel,  but  we  have  now  an  hour  or  two  to  spare, 
and  to  get  acquainted.  Do  you  not  perceive,  brother,  a  strong 
likeness  in  the  girl,  to  her  we  have  so  long  lost  ?" 

"  Mabel  is  the  image  of  her  mother,  serjeant,  as  I  have 
always  said,  with  a  little  of  your  firmer  figure ;  though,  for 
that  matter,  the  Caps  were  never  wanting  in  spring  and 
activity." 

Mabel  cast  a  timid  glance  at  the  stern,  rigid  countenance 
of  her  father,  of  whom  she  had  ever  thought  as  the  warm 
hearted  dwell  on  the  affection  of  their  absent  parents,  and,  as 
she  saw  that  the  muscles  of  his  face  were  working,  notwith 
standing  the  stiffness  and  method  of  his  manner,  her  very 
heart  yearned  to  throw  herself  on  his  bosom,  and  to  weep  at 
will.  But  he  was  so  much  colder  in  externals,  so  much  more 
formal  and  distant  than  she  had  expected  to  find  him,  that 
she  would  not  have  dared  to  hazard  the  freedom,  even  had 
they  been  alone. 

"  You  have  taken  a  long  and  troublesome  journey,  brother, 


THE   PATHFINDER.  125 

on  my  account,  and  we  will  try  to  make  you  comfortable, 
while  you  stay  among  us." 

"  I  hear  you  are  likely  to  receive  orders  to  lift  your  anchor, 
serjeant,  and  to  shift  your  berth  into  a  part  of  the  world  where 
they  say  there  are  a  thousand  islands  ?" 

"Pathfinder,  this  is  some  of  your  forgetfulness  ? — " 

"  Nay,  nay,  serjeant ;  I  forgot  nothing,  but  it  did  not  seem 
to  me  necessary  to  hide  your  intentions  so  very  closely  from 
your  own  flesh  and  blood." 

"  All  military  movements  ought  to  be  made  with  as  little 
conversation  as  possible,"  returned  the  serjeant,  tapping  the 
guide's  shoulder,  in  a  friendly,  but  reproachful  manner. 
"  You  have  passed  too  much  of  your  life  in  front  of  the 
French,  not  to  know  the  value  of  silence.  But,  no  matter : 
the  thing  must  soon  be  known,  and  there  is  no  great  use  in 
trying,  now,  to  conceal  it.  We  shall  embark  a  relief  party, 
shortly,  for  a  post  on  the  lake,  though  I  do  not  say  it  is  for 
the  Thousand  Islands,  and  I  may  have  to  go  with  it ;  in 
which  case,  I  intend  to  take  Mabel  to  make  my  broth  for  me, 
and  I  hope,  brother,  you  will  not  despise  a  soldier's  fare,  for 
a  month  or  so." 

"  That  will  depend  on  the  manner  of  marching.  I  have 
no  love  for  woods  and  swamps." 

"  We  shall  sail  in  the  Scud  ;  and,  indeed,  the  whole  ser 
vice,  which  is  no  stranger  to  us,  is  likely  enough  to  please 
one  accustomed  to  the  water." 

"  Ay,  to  salt-water,  if  you  will,  but  not  to  lake-water.  If 
you  have  no  person  to  handle  that  bit  of  a  cutter  for  you,  I 
have  no  objection  to  ship  for  the  v'y'ge,  notwithstanding,  though 
I  shall  look  on  the  whole  affair  as  so  much  time  thrown  away  ; 
for  I  consider  it  an  imposition  to  call  sailing  about  this  pond, 
going  to  sea." 

"  Jasper  is  every  way  able  to  manage  the  Scud,  brother 
Cap,  and  in  that  light  I  cannot  say  that  we  have  need  of 
your  services,  though  we  shall  be  glad  of  your  company. 
You  cannot  return  to  the  settlements,  until  a  party  is  sent  in, 
and  that  is  not  likely  to  happen  until  after  my  return. 
Well,  Pathfinder,  this  is  the  first  time  I  ever  knew  men  on 
the  trail  of  the  Mingos,  and  you  not  at  their  head !" 

"  To  be  honest  with  you,  serjeant,"  returned  the  guide, 
not  without  a  little  awkwardness  of  manner,  and  a  perceptible 
11* 


126  THE   PATHFINDER. 

difference  in  the  hue  of  a  face  that  had  become  so  uniformly 
red  by  exposure,  "  I  have  not  felt  that  it  was  my  gift,  this 
morning.  In  the  first  place,  I  very  well  know  that  the  sol 
diers  of  the  55th  are  not  the  lads  to  overtake  Iroquois  in 
the  woods,  and  the  knaves  did  not  wait  to  be  surrounded, 
when  they  knew  that  Jasper  had  reached  the  garrison.  Then, 
a  man  may  take  a  little  rest,  after  a  summer  of  hard  work, 
and  no  impeachment  of  his  good  will.  Besides,  the  Sarpent 
is  out  with  them,  and  if  the  miscreants  are  to  be  found  at  all, 
you  may  trust  to  his  inmity  and  sight :  the  first  being  strong 
er,  and  the  last  nearly,  if  not  quite,  as  good  as  my  own.  He 
loves  the  skulking  vagabonds  as  little  as  myself;  and,  for 
that  matter,  I  may  say  that  my  own  feelings  towards  a  Mingo, 
are  not  much  more  than  the  gifts  of  a  Delaware  grafted  on 
a  Christian  stock.  No  —  no — I  thought  I  would  leave  the 
honour,  this  time,  if  honour  there  is  to  be,  to  the  young  en 
sign  that  commands,  who,  if  he  don't  lose  his  scalp,  may 
boast  of  his  campaign  in  his  letters  to  his  mother,  when  he 
gets  in.  I  thought  I  would  play  idler  once  in  my  life." 

"  And  no  one  has  a  better  right,  if  long  and  faithful  ser 
vice  entitles  a  man  to  a  furlough,"  returned  the  serjeant, 
kindly.  "  Mabel  will  think  none  the  worse  of  you,  for  pre 
ferring  her  company  to  the  trail  of  the  savages  ;  and,  I  dare 
say,  will  be  happy  to  give  you  a  part  of  her  breakfast,  if  you 
are  inclined  to  eat.  You  must  not  think,  girl,  however,  that 
the  Pathfinder  is  in  the  habit  of  letting  prowlers  around  the 
fort  beat  a  retreat,  without  hearing  the  crack  of  his  rifle." 

"  If  I  thought  she  did,  serjeant,  though  not  much  given  to 
showy  and  parade  evolutions,  I  would  shoulder  Killdeer,  and 
quit  the  garrison  before  her  pretty  eyes  had  tiw*-  to  frown. 
No — no — Mabel  knows  me  better,  though  we  are  but  new 
acquaintances,  for  there  has  been  no  want  of  Mingos  to  en 
liven  the  short  march  we  have  already  made  in  company." 

"  It  would  need  a  great  deal  of  testimony,  Pathfinder,  to 
make  me  think  ill  of  you,  in  any  way,  and  more  than  all, 
in  the  way  you  mention,"  returned  Mabel,  colouring  with  the 
sincere  earnestness  with  which  she  endeavoured  to  removo 
any  suspicion  to  the  contrary,  from  his  mind.  "  Both  father 
and  daughter,  I  believe,  owe  you  their  lives,  and  believe  mo 
that  neither  will  ever  forget  it." 

"  Thank  you,  Mabel,  thank  you  with  all  my  heart.     But 


THE  PATHFINDER.  127 

I  will  not  take  advantage  of  your  ignorance  neither,  girl,  and 
therefore  shall  say  I  do  not  think  the  Mingos  would  have  hurt 
a  hair  of  your  head,  had  they  succeeded  by  their  deviltries 
and  contrivances,  in  getting  you  into  their  hands.  My  scalp, 
and  Jasper's,  and  Master  Cap's,  there,  and  the  Sarpent's,  too, 
would  sartainly  have  been  smoked  ;  but  as  for  the  Serjeant's 
daughter,  I  do  not  think  they  would  have  hurt  a  hair  of  her 
head !" 

"  And  why  should  I  suppose  that  enemies  known  to  spare 
neither  women  nor  children,  would  have  shown  more  mercy 
to  me  than  to  another?  I  feel,  Pathfinder,  that  I  owe  you 
my  life." 

"  I  say  nay,  Mabel ;  they  wouldn't  have  had  the  heart  to 
hurt  you.  No,  not  even  a  fiery  Mingo  devil,  would  have  had 
the  heart  to  hurt  a  hair  of  your  head !  Bad  as  I  suspect  the 
vampires  to  be,  I  do  not  suspect  them  of  any  thing  so  wicked 
as  that.  They  might  have  wished  you — nay,  forced  you  to 
become  the  wife  of  one  of  their  chiefs,  and  that  would  be  tor 
ment  enough  to  a  Christian  young  woman  ;  but  beyond  that 
I  do  not  think  even  the  Mingos  themselves  would  have  gone." 

"  Well,  then,  I  shall  owe  my  escape  from  this  great  mis 
fortune  to  you,"  said  Mabel,  taking  his  hard  hand  into  her 
own,  frankly  and  cordially,  and  certainly  in  a  way  to  delight 
the  honest  guide.  "  To  me  it  would  be  a  lighter  evil  to  be 
killed,  than  to  become  the  wife  of  an  Indian." 

"  That  is  her  gift,  serjeant,"  exclaimed  Pathfinder,  turning 
to  his  old  comrade,  with  gratification  written  on  every  linea 
ment  of  his  honest  countenance,  "  and  it  will  have  its  way. 
I  tell  the  Sarpent,  that  no  christianizing  will  ever  make  even 
a  Delaware  a  white  man ;  nor  any  whooping  and  yelling 
convert  a  pale-face  into  a  red-skin.  That  is  the  gift  of  a 
foung  woman  born  of  Christian  parents,  and  it  ought  to  be 
maintained." 

"  You  are  right,  Pathfinder,  and  so  far  as  Mabel  Dunham 
is  concerned,  it  shall  be  maintained.  But  it  is  time  to  break 
your  fasts,  and  if  you  will  follow  me,  brother  Cap,  I  will 
show  you  how  we  poor  soldiers  live,  here  on  a  distant  fron 
tier." 


128  THE  PATHFINDER 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Now  my  co-mates  and  partners  in  exile, 
Hath  not  old  custom  made  this  life  more  sweet 
Than  that  of  painted  pomp  ?     Are  not  these  woods 
More  free  from  peril  than  the  curious  court  ? 
Here  feel  we  but  the  penalty  of  Adam." 

As  You  LIKE  IT 

SERJEANT  DUNHAM  made  no  erapty  vaunt,  when  he  gave 
the  promise  conveyed  in  the  closing  words  of  the  last  chapter. 
Notwithstanding  the  remote  frontier  position  of  the  post,  they 
who  lived  at  it  enjoyed  a  table  that,  in  many  respects,  kings 
and  princes  might  have  envied.  At  the  period  of  oui  tale, 
and,  indeed,  for  half  a  century  later,  the  whole  of  that  vast 
region  which  has  been  called  the  west,  or  the  new  countries, 
since  the  war  of  the  revolution,  lay  a  comparatively  unpeo 
pled  desert,  teeming  with  all  the  living  productions  of  nature, 
that  properly  belonged  to  the  climate,  man  and  the  domestic 
animals  excepted.  The  few  Indians  that  roamed  its  forests 
then,  could  produce  no  visible  effects  on  the  abundance  of 
the  game ;  and  the  scattered  garrisons,  or  occasional  hunters, 
that  here  and  there  were  to  be  met  with  on  that  vast  surface, 
had  no  other  influence  than  the  bee  on  the  buckwheat  field, 
or  the  humming-bird  on  the  flower. 

The  marvels  that  have  descended  to  our  own  times,  in  the 
way  of  tradition,  concerning  the  quantities  of  beasts,  birds 
and  fishes,  that  were  then  to  be  met  with,  on  the  shores  of 
the  great  lakes  in  particular,  are  known  to  be  sustained  by 
the  experience  of  living  men ;  else  might  we  hesitate  about 
relating  them  ;  but  having  been  eye-witnesses  of  some  of  these 
prodigies,  our  office  shall  be  discharged  with  the  confidence 
that  certainty  can  impart.  Oswego  was  particularly  well 
placed  to  keep  the  larder  of  an  epicure  amply  supplied.  Fish 
of  various  sorts  abounded  in  its  river,  and  the  sportsman  had 
only  to  cast  his  line  to  haul  in  a  bass  or  some  other  member 
of  the  finny  tribe,  which  then  peopled  the  waters,  as  the  air 
above  the  swamps  of  this  fruitful  latitude  are  known  to  be 
filled  with  insects.  Among  ethers,  was  the  salmon  of  the 


THE    PATHFINDER.  129 

lakes,  a  variety  of  that  well-known  species,  that  is  scarcely 
inferior  to  the  delicious  salmon  of  northern  Europe.  Of  the 
different  migratory  birds  that  frequent  forests  and  waters, 
there  was  the  same  affluence,  hundreds  of  acres  of  geese  and 
ducks  being  often  seen  at  a  time,  in  the  great  bays  that  in 
dent  the  shores  of  the  lake.  Deer,  bears,  rabbits,  and  squir 
rels,  with  divers  other  quadrupeds,  among  which  was  some 
times  included  the  elk,  or  moose,  helped  to  complete  the  sum 
of  the  natural  supplies,  on  which  all  the  posts  depended, 
more  or  less,  to  relieve  the  unavoidable  privations  oi  their 
remote  frontier  positions. 

In  a  place  where  viands,  that  would  elsewhere  be  deemed 
great  luxuries,  were  so  abundant,  no  one  was  excluded  from 
their  enjoyment.  The  meanest  individual  at  Oswego  habitu 
ally  feasted  on  game  that  would  have  formed  the  boast  of  a 
Parisian  table ;  and  it  was  no  more  than  a  healthful  com 
mentary  on  the  caprices  of  taste,  and  of  the  waywardness 
of  human  desires,  that  the  very  diet,  which  in  other  scenes 
would  have  been  deemed  the  subject  of  envy  and  repinings, 
got  to  pall  on  the  appetite.  The  coarse  and  regular  food 
of  the  army,  which  it  became  necessary  to  husband  on 
account  of  the  difficulty  of  transportation,  rose  in  the  estima 
tion  of  the  common  soldier,  and,  at  any  time,  he  would 
cheerfully  desert  his  venison,  and  ducks,  and  pigeons,  and 
salmon,  to  banquet  on  the  sweets  of  pickled  pork,  stringy 
turnips  and  half-cooked  cabbage. 

The  table  of  Serjeant  Dunham,  as  a  matter  of  course,  par 
took  of  the  abundance  and  luxuries  of  the  frontier,  as  well 
as  of  its  privations.  A  delicious  broiled  salmon  smoked  on 
a  homely  platter,  hot  venison  steaks  sent  up  their  appetizing 
odours,  and  several  dishes  of  cold  meats,  all  of  which  were 
composed  of  game,  had  been  set  before  the  guests,  in  honour 
of  the  newly-arrived  visiters,  and  in  vindication  of  the  old 
soldier's  hospitality. 

"  You  do  not  seem  to  be  on  short  allowance,  in  this  quar 
ter  of  the  world,  Serjeant,"  said  Cap,  after  he  had  got  fairly 
initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  the  different  dishes :  "  your 
salmon  might  satisfy  a  Scotsman." 

"  It  fails  to  do  it,  notwithstanding,  brother  Cap ;  for  among 
two  or  three  hundred  of  the  fellows,  that  we  have  in  this  gar 
rison,  there  are  not  half  a  dozen  who  will  not  swear  that  the 


130  THE   PATHFINDER. 

fish  is  unfit  to  be  eaten.  Even  some  of  the  lads,  who  never 
tasted  venison  except  as  poachers  at  home,  turn  up  their 
noses  at  the  fattest  haunches  that  we  get  here." 

"  Ay,  that  is  Christian  natur',"  put  in  Pathfinder,  "  and  I 
must  say,  it  is  none  to  its  credit.  Now,  a  red-skin  never  re 
pines,  but  is  always  thankful  for  the  food  he  gets,  whether  it 
be  fat,  or  lean,  venison,  or  bear ;  wild  turkey's  breast,  or 
wild  goose's  wing.  To  the  shame  of  us  white  men  be  it 
said,  that  we  look  upon  blessings  without  satisfaction,  and 
consider  trifling  evils  as  matters  of  great  account." 

"  It  is  so  with  the  55th,  as  I  can  answer,  though  I  cannot 
say  as  much  for  their  Christianity  ;"  returned  the  serjeant. 
"  Even  the  Major  himself,  old  Duncan  of  Lundie,  will  some 
times  swear  an  oat-meal  cake  is  better  fare  than  the  Oswego 
bass,  and  sigh  for  a  swallow  of  Highland  water,  when,  if  so 
minded,  he  has  the  whole  of  Ontario  to  quench  his  thirst  in." 

"  Has  Major  Duncan  a  wife  and  children  ?"  asked  Mabel, 
whose  thoughts  naturally  turned  towards  her  own  sex,  in  her 
new  situation. 

"  Not  he,  girl ;  though  they  do  say  that  he  has  a  betrothed, 
at  home.  The  lady,  it  seems,  is  willing  to  wait,  rather  than 
suffer  the  hardships  of  service,  in  this  wild  region,  all  of 
which,  brother  Cap,  is  not  according  to  my  notions  of  a  wo 
man's  duties.  Your  sister  thought  differently,  and  had  it 
pleased  God  to  spare  her,  would  have  been  sitting,  at  this 
moment,  on  the  very  camp-stool  that  her  daughter  so  well 
becomes." 

"  I  hope,  serjeant,  you  do  not  think  of  Mabel,  for  a  sol 
dier's  wife,"  returned  Cap,  gravely.  "  Our  family  has  done 
its  share,  in  that  way,  already,  and  it 's  high  time  that  the 
sea  was  again  remembered." 

"  I  do  not  think  of  finding  a  husband  for  the  girl  in  the 
55th,  or  any  other  regiment,  I  can  promise  you,  brother ; 
though  I  do  think  it  getting  to  be  time  that  the  child  were 
respectably  married." 

"  Father !" 

"  'T  is  not  their  gifts,  serjeant,  to  talk  of  these  matters  in 
so  open  a  manner,"  said  the  guide ;  "  for  I  've  seen  it  verified 
by  experience,  that  he  who  would  follow  the  trail  of  a  vir 
gin's  good-will,  must  not  go  shouting  out  his  thoughts  behind 
her.  So,  if  you  please,  we  will  talk  of  something  else." 


THE   PATHFINDER.  131 

**  Well,  then,  brother  Cap,  I  hope  that  bit  of  a  cold  roasted 
£>ig  is  to  your  mind ;  you  seem  to  fancy  the  food." 

"  Ay,  ay,  give  me  civilized  grub,  if  I  must  eat,"  returned 
the  pertinacious  seaman.  "  Venison  is  well  enough  for  your 
inland  sailors,  but  we  of  the  ocean  like  a  little  of  that  which 
we  understand." 

Here  Pathfinder  laid  down  his  knife  and  fork,  and  indulged 
in  a  hearty  laugh,  though  always  in  his  silent  manner :  then 
he  asked,  with  a  little  curiosity  in  his  manner — 

"Don't  you  miss  the  skin,  Master  Cap;  don't  you  miss 
the  skin?" 

"  It  would  have  been  better  for  its  jacket,  I  think  myself, 
Pathfinder ;  but  I  suppose  it  is  a  fashion  of  the  woods  to 
serve  up  shoats  in  this  style." 

"  Well,  well-,  a  man  may  go  round  the  'arth  and  not  know 
every  thing  1  If  you  had  had  the  skinning  of  that  pig,  Mas 
ter  Cap,  it  would  have  left  you  sore  hands.  The  creatur'  is 
a  hedge- hog !" 

"  Blast  me,  if  I  thought  it  wholesome  natural  pork,  either;" 
returned  Cap.  "  But  then  I  believed  even  a  pig  might  lose 
some  of  its  good  qualities,  up  hereaway,  in  the  woods.  It 
seemed  no  more  than  reason  that  a  fresh-water  hog  should 
not  be  altogether  so  good  as  a  salt-water  hog.  I  suppose. 
Serjeant,  by  this  time,  it  is  all  the  same  to  you  ?" 

"  If  the  skinning  of  it,  brother,  does  not  fall  to  my  duty. 
Pathfinder,  I  hope  you  didn't  find  Mabel  disobedient  on  the 
march  ?" 

"  Not  she — not  she.  If  Mabel  is  only  half  as  well  satis 
fied  with  Jasper  and  the  Pathfinder,  as  the  Pathfinder  and 
Jasper  are  satisfied  with  her,  serjeant,  we  shall  be  friends  for 
the  remainder  of  our  days." 

As  the  guide  spoke,  he  turned  his  eyes  towards  the  blush 
ing  girl,  with  a  sort  of  innocent  desire  to  know  her  opinion , 
and  then,  with  an  inborn  delicacy  that  proved  he  was  far  su 
perior  to  the  vulgar  desire  to  invade  the  sanctity  of  feminine 
feeling,  he  looked  at  his  plate,  and  seemed  to  regret  his  own 
boldness. 

"  Well,  well,  we  must  remember  that  women  are  not  men, 
my  friend,"  resumed  the  serjeant,  "  and  make  proper  allow 
ances  for  nature  and  education.  A  recruit  is  not  a  veteran, 
man  knows  that  it  takes  longer  to  make  a  good  soldier, 


132  THE  PATHFINDER, 

than  it  takes  to  make  any  thing  else  ;  and  it  ought  to  require 
unusual  time  to  make  a  good  soldier's  daughter." 

41  This  is  new  doctrine,  serjeant,"  said  Cap,  with  some 
spirit.  "We  old  seamen  are  apt  to  think  that  six  soldiers, 
ay,  and  capital  soldiers  too,  might  be  made,  while  one  sailor 
is  getting  his  education." 

"  Ay,  brother  Cap,  I  've  seen  something  of  the  opinions 
which  sea-faring  men  have  of  themselves,"  returned  the  bro 
ther-in-law,  with  a  smile  as-  bland  as  comported  with  his 
saturnine  features;  "for  Iwas  many  years  one  of  the  gar 
rison  in  a  sea-port.  You  and  I  have  conversed  on  the  sub 
ject  before,  and  I'm  afraid  we  shall  never  agree.  But  if 
you  wish  to  know  what  the  difference  is,  between  a  real  sol 
dier,  and  man  in  what  I  should  call  a  state  of  nature,  you 
have  only  to  look  at  a  battalion  of  the  55th,  on  parade  this 
afternoon,  and  then,  when  you  get  back  to  York,  examine 
one  of  the  militia  regiments  making  its  greatest  efforts." 

"  Well,  to  my  eye,  serjeant,  there  is  very  little  difference — 
not  more  than  you  '11  find  between  a  brig  and  a  snow.  To 
me  they  seem  alike ;  all  scarlet,  and  feathers,  and  powder, 
and  pipe-clay." 

"  So  much,  sir,  for  the  judgment  of  a  sailor,"  returned  the 
serjeant  with  dignity  ;  "  but  perhaps  you  are  not  aware  that 
it  requires  a  year  to  teach  a  true  soldier  how  to  eat." 

"  So  much  the  worse  for  him  I  The  militia  know  how  to 
eat  at  starting ;  for  I  have  often  heard  that,  on  their  marches, 
they  commonly  eat  all  before  them,  even  if  they  do  nothing 
else." 

"  They  have  their  gifts,  I  suppose,  like  other  men,"  ob 
served  Pathfinder,  with  a  view  to  preserve  the  peace,  which 
was  evidently  in  some  danger  of  being  broken,  by  the  obsti 
nate  predilection  of  each  of  the  disputants  in  favour  of  his 
own  calling  ;  "  and  when  a  man  has  his  gift  from  Providence, 
it  is  commonly  idle  to  endeavour  to  bear  up  against  it.  The 
55th,  serjeant,  is  a  judicious  regiment,  in  the  way  of  eating, 
as  I  know  from  having  been  so  long  in  its  company,  though 
I  dare  say  militia  corps  could  be  found  that  would  outdo 
them  in  feats  of  that  natur',  too." 

"  Uncle,"  said  Mabel,  "  if  you  have  breakfasted,  I  will 
thank  you  to  go  out  upon  the  bastion  with  me,  again.  We 
have  neither  of  us  half  seen  the  lake,  and  it  would  be  hard- 


THE  FATHFINBER.  133 

Iy  seemly  for  a  young  woman  to  be  walking  about  the  fort, 
the  first  day  of  her  arrival,  quite  alone." 

Cap  understood  the  motive  of  Mabel,  and  having,  at  the 
bottom,  a  hearty  friendship  for  his  brother-in-law,  he  waa 
willing  enough  to  defer  the  argument  until  they  had  been 
longer  together,  for  the  idea  of  abandoning  it  altogether, 
never  crossed  the  mind  of  one  so  dogmatical  and  obstinate. 
He  accordingly  accompanied  his  niece,  leaving  Serjeant 
Dunham  and  his  friend,  the  Pathfinder,  alone,  together.  As 
soon  as  his  adversary  had  beat  a  retreat,  the  serjeant,  who 
did  not  quite  so  well  understand  the  manoeuvre  of  his 
daughter,  turned  to  his  companion,  and  with  a  smile  that  was 
not  without  triumph,  he  remarked — 

"  The  army,  Pathfinder,  has  never  yet  done  itself  justice, 
in  the  way  of  asserting  its  rights ;  and,  though  modesty  be 
comes  a  man,  whether  he  is  in  a  red  coat  or  a  black  one,  or, 
for  that  matter,  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  I  don't  like  to  let  a  good 
opportunity  slip  of  saying  a  word  in  its  behalf.  Well,  my 
friend,"  laying  his  own  hand  on  one  of  the  Pathfinder's,  and 
giving  it  a  hearty  squeeze — "  how  do  you  like  the  girl  ?" 

"  You  have  reason  to  be  proud  of  her,  serjeant ;  you  have 
reason  to  be  proud  at  finding  yourself  the  father  of  so  hand 
some  and  well-mannered  a  young  woman.  I  have  seen  many 
of  her  sex,  and  some  that  were  great  and  beautiful,  but  never 
before  did  I  meet  with  one,  in  whom  I  thought  Providence 
had  so  well  balanced  the  different  gifts." 

"And  the  good  opinion,  I  can  tell  you,  Pathfinder,  is 
mutual.  She  told  me  last  night  all  about  your  coolness,  and 
spirit,  and  kindness,  —  particularly  the  last;  for  kindness 
counts  for  more  than  half  with  females,  my  friend, — and  the 
first  inspection  seems  to  give  satisfaction  on  both  sides. 
Brush  up  the  uniform,  and  pay  a  little  more  attention  to  the 
outside,  Pathfinder,  and  you  will  have  the  girl,  heart  and 
hand." 

"  Nay,  nay,  serjeant,  I  've  forgotten  nothing  that  you  have 
told  me,  and  grudge  no  reasonable  pains  to  make  myself  as 
pleasant  in  the  eyes  of  Mabel,  as  she  is  getting  to  be  in  mine. 
I  cleaned  and  brightened  up  Killdeer,  this  morning,  as  soon 
as  the  sun  rose ;  and,  in  my  judgment,  the  piece  never  looked 
better  than  it  does  at  this  very  moment !" 

"  That  is  according  to  your  hunting  notions,  Pathfinder  ; 
12 


134  THE   PATHFINDER. 

but  fire-arms  should  sparkle  and  glitter  in  the  sun,  and  I  never 
yet  could  see  any  beauty  in  a  clouded  barrel." 

"  Lord  Howe  thought  otherwise,  Serjeant ;  and  he  was  ac 
counted  a  good  soldier !" 

"  Very  true — -his  lordship  had  all  the  barrels  of  his  regi 
ment  darkened,  and  what  good  came  of  it  t  You  can  see  his 
'scutcheon  hanging  in  the  English  church  at  Albany  !  No, 
no,  my  worthy  friend,  a  soldier  should  be  a  soldier,  and  at 
no  time  ought  he  to  be  ashamed,  or  afraid,  to  carry  about 
him  the  signs  and  symbols  of  his  honourable  trade.  Had  you 
much  discourse  with  Mabel,  Pathfinder,  as  you  came  along 
in  the  canoe  1n 

"  There  was  not  much  opportunity,  serjeant,  and  then  I 
found  myself  so  much  beneath  her  in  ideas,  that  I  was  afraid 
to  speak  of  much  beyond  what  belonged  to  my  own  gifts." 

"  Therein,  you  are  partly  right,  and  partly  wrong,  my 
friend.  Women  love  trifling  discourse,  though  they  like  to 
have  most  of  it  to  themselves.  Now,  you  know,  I  'm  a  man 
that  do  not  loosen  my  tongue  at  every  giddy  thought,  and 
yet  there  were  days  when  I  could  see  that  Mabel's  mother 
thought  none  the  worse  of  me,  because  I  descended  a  little 
from  my  manhood.  It  is  true,  I  was  twenty-two  years 
younger  then,  than  I  am  to-day ;  and,  moreover,  instead  of 
being  the  oldest  serjeant  in  the  regiment,  I  was  the  youngest. 
Dignity  is  commanding  and  useful,  and  there  is  no  getting 
on  without  it.  as  respects  the  men ;  but  if  you  would  be 
thoroughly  esteemed  by  a  woman,  it  is  necessary  to  conde 
scend  a  little,  on  occasions." 

"  Ahs  me !  serjeant ;  I  sometimes  fear  it  will  never  do !" 

"  Why  do  you  think  so  discouragingly  of  a  matter  on  which 
I  thought  both  our  minds  were  made  up  ?" 

"  We  did  agree  that  if  Mabel  should  prove  what  you  told 
me  she  was,  and  if  the  girl  could  fancy  a  rude  hunter  and 
guide,  that  I  would  quit  some  of  my  wandering  ways,  and 
try  to  humanize  my  mind  down  to  a  wife  and  children.  But 
since  I  have  seen  the  girl,  I  will  own  that  many  misgivings 
have  come  over  me !" 

"  How 's  this !"  interrupted  the  serjeant,  sternly — "  Did  I 
not  understand  you  to  say  that  you  were  pleased  ? — And  is 
Mabel  a  young  woman  to  disappoint  expectation  ?" 

"  Ah !  serjeant,  it  is  not  Mabel  that  I  distrust    but  myself. 


THE   PATHFINDER.  135 

I  am  but  a  poor  ignorant  woodsman,  after  all,  and  perhaps 
I'm  not,  in  truth,  as  good  as  even  you  and  I  may  think  me !" 

"  If  you  doubt  your  own  judgment  of  yourself,  Pathfinder, 
I  beg  you  will  not  doubt  mine.  Am  I  not  accustomed  to 
judge  men  s  character  7 — Is  it  not  my  especial  duty,  and  am 
I  often  deceived  ?  Ask  Major  Duncan,  sir,  if  you  desire  any 
assurances  in  this  particular." 

"  But,  serjeant,  we  have  long  been  friends ;  have  fou't  side 
by  side,  a  dozen  times,  and  have  done  each  other  many  ser 
vices.  When  this  is  the  case,  men  are  apt  to  think  over- 
kindly  of  each  other,  and  I  fear  me  that  the  daughter  may 
not  be  so  likely  to  view  a  plain,  ignorant  hunter  as  favourably 
as  the  father  does." 

"  Tut — tut — Pathfinder — you  don't  know  yourself,  man, 
and  may  put  all  faith  in  my  judgment.  In  the  first  place, 
you  have  experience,  and  as  all  girls  must  want  that,  no 
prudent  young  woman  would  overlook  such  a  qualification. 
Then  you  are  not  one  of  the  coxcombs  that  strut  about  when 
they  first  join  a  regiment,  but  a  man  who  has  seen  service, 
and  who  carries  the  marks  of  it  on  his  person  and  coun- 
.enance.  I  dare  say  you  have  been  under  fire,  some  thirty 
or  forty  times,  counting  all  the  skirmishes  and  ambushes  that 
youV?  seen." 

"  All  of  that,  serjeant,  all  of  that ;  but  what  will  it  avail, 
in  gaining  the  good-will  of  a  tender-hearted  young  female  ?" 

"  It  will  gain  the  day.  Experience  in  the  field  is  as  good 
in  love,  as  in  war.  But  you  are  as  honest-hearted,  and  as 
loyal  a  subject,  as  the  king  can  boast  of — God  bless  him !" 

"  That  may  be  too — that  may  be  too ;  but  I'm  afeard  I'm 
too  rude,  and  too  old,  and  too  wild  like,  to  suit  the  fancy  of 
such  a  young  and  delicate  girl,  as  Mabel,  who  has  been  un 
used  to  our  wilderness  ways,  and  may  think  the  settlements 
better  suited  to  her  gifts  and  inclinations." 

"  These  are  new  misgivings  for  you,  my  friend,  and  I  won 
der  they  were  never  paraded  before." 

"  Because  I  never  knew  my  own  worthlessness,  perhaps,  until 
I  saw  Mabel.  I  have  travelled  with  some  as  fair,  and  have 
guided  them  through  the  forest,  and  seen  them  in  their  perils 
and  in  their  gladness ;  but  they  were  always  too  much  above 
me,, to  make  me  think  of  them,  as  more  than  so  many  feeble 
ones  I  was  bound  to  protect  and  defend.  The  case  is  now 


136  THE   PATHFINDER. 

different.  Maoel  and  I  are  so  nearly  alike,  that  I  feel  weighed 
down  with  a  load  that  is  hard  to  bear,  at  finding  us  so  unlike. 
I  do  wish,  serjeant,  that  I  was  ten  years  younger,  more  comely 
to  look  at,  and  better  suited  to  please  a  handsome  young  wo- 
man's  fancy !" 

"  Cheer  up,  my  brave  friend,  and  trust  to  a  father's  know, 
ledge  of  womankind.  Mabel  half  loves  you,  already,  and  a 
fortnight's  intercourse  and  kindness,  down  among  the  islands 
yonder,  will  close  ranks  with  the  other  half.  The  girl  as 
much  as  told  me  this  herself,  last  night." 

"Can  this  be  so,  serjeant  ?"  said  the  guide,  whose  meek 
and  modest  nature  shrunk  from  viewing  himself  in  colours  so 
favourable.  "  Can  this  be  truly  so !  I  am  but  a  poor  hunter, 
and  Mabel,  I  see,  is  fit  to  be  an  officer's  lady.  Do  you  think 
the  girl  will  consent  to  quit  all  her  beloved  settlement  usages, 
and  her  visitings,  and  church-goings,  to  dwell  with  a  plain 
guide  and  hunter,  up  hereaway,  in  the  woods?  Will  she 
not,  in  the  end,  crave  her  old  ways,  and  a  better  man  ?" 

"  A  better  man,  Pathfinder,  would  be  hard  to  find,"  returned 
the  father.  «'  As  for  town  usages,  they  are  soon  forgotten  in 
the  freedom  of  the  forest,  and  Mabel  has  just  spirit  enough 
to  dwell  on  a  frontier.  I  've  not  planned  this  marriage,  my 
friend,  without  thinking  it  over,  as  a  general  does  his  cam 
paign.  At  first,  I  thought  of  bringing  you  into  the  regiment, 
that  you  might  succeed  me  when  I  retire,  which  must  be 
sooner  or  later ;  but  on  reflection,  Pathfinder,  I  think  you  are 
scarcely  fitted  for  the  office.  Still,  if  not  a  soldier,  in  all  the 
meanings  of  the  word,  you  are  a  soldier  in  its  best  meaning, 
and  I  know  that  you  have  the  good  will  of  every  officer  in 
the  corps.  As  long  as  I  live,  Mabel  can  dwell  with  me,  and 
you  will  always  have  a  home,  when  you  return  from  your 
scoutings  and  marches." 

"  This  is  very  pleasant  to  think  of,  serjeant,  if  the  girl  can 
only  come  into  our  wishes  with  good  will.  But,  ahs  me ! 
it  does  not  seem  that  one  like  myself,  can  ever  be  agreeable 
in  .her  handsome  eyes  !  If  I  were  younger,  and  more  comely, 
nftw,  as  Jasper  Western  is,  for  instance ;  there  might  be  a 
chance — yes,  then,  indeed,  there  might  be  some  chance." 

"  That,  for  Jasper  Eau-douce,  and  every  younker  of  them 
in,  or  about  the  fort !"  returned  the  serjeant,  snapping  his 
fingers.  "  If  not  actually  a  younger,  you  axe  a  youcgei 


THE    PATHFINDER.  137 

looking,  ay,  and  a  better  looking  man  than  the  Scud's 
master " 

"  Anan !"  said  Pathfinder,  looking  up  at  his  companion 
with  an  expression  of  doubt,  as  if  he  did  not  understand  his 
meaning. 

"  I  say,  if  not  actually  younger  in  days  and  years,  you 
look  more  hardy  and  like  whip-cord,  than  Jasper,  or  any  of 
them ;  and  there  will  be  more  of  you,  thirty  years  hence, 
than  of  all  of  them  put  together.  A  good  conscience  will 
keep  one  like  you  a  mere  boy,  all  his  life." 

"  Jasper  has  as  clear  a  conscience  as  any  youth,  I  know, 
serjeant ! — and  is  as  likely  to  wear,  on  that  account,  as  any 
young  man  in  the  colony." 

"  Then  you  are  my  friend,"  squeezing  the  other's  hand— 
"  my  tried,  sworn  and  constant  friend." 

"  Yes,  we  have  been  friends,  serjeant,  near  twenty  years — 
before  Mabel  was  born."  * 

"  True  enough — before  Mabel  was  born,  we  were  well-tried 
friends,  and  the  hussy  would  never  dream  of  refusing  to 
marry  a  man  who  was  her  father's  friend  before  she  was 
born !" 

"  We  don't  know,  serjeant,  we  don't  know.  Like  loves 
like.  The  young  prefer  the  young  for  companions,  and  the 
old  the  old." 

"  Not  for  wives,  Pathfinder ;  I  never  knew  an  old  man, 
now,  who  had  an  objection  to  a  young  wife.  Then  you  are 
respected  and  esteemed  by  every  officer  in  the  fort,  as  I  have 
said  already,  and  it  will  please  her  fancy  to  like  a  man  that 
every  one  else  iikes." 

"  I  hope  I  have  no  enemies  but  the  Mingos,"  returned  the 
guide,  stroking  down  his  hair  meekly,  and  speaking  thought 
fully.  "  I  've  tried  to  do  right,  and  that  ought  to  make 
friends,  though  it  sometimes  fails." 

"  And  you  may  be  said  to  keep  the  best  company,  for 
even  old  Duncan  of  Lundie  is  glad  to  see  you,  and  you  pass 
hours  in  his  society.  Of  all  the  guides,  he  confides  most 
in  you."  * 

"  Ay,  even  greater  than  he  is,  have  marched  by  my  side 
for  days,  and  have  conversed  with  me  as  if  I  were  their 
brother ;  but,  serjeant,  I  have  never  been  puffed  up  by  theii 
12* 


138  THE    PATHFINDER. 

company,  for  I  know  that  the  woods  often  bring  men  to  e 
level,  who  would  not  be  so  in  the  settlements." 

"  And  you  are  known  to  be  the  greatest  rifle-shot  that  ever 
pulled  trigger  in  all  this  region." 

"  If  Mabel  could  fancy  a  man  for  that,  I  might  have  no 
great  reason  to  despair ;  and  yet,  Serjeant,  I  sometimes  think 
that  it  is  all  as  much  owing  to  Killdeer,  as  to  any  skill  of  my 
own.  It  is  sartainly  a  wonderful  piece,  and  might  do  as 
much  in  the  hands  of  another  !" 

"  That  is  your  own  humble  opinion  of  yourself,  Pathfind 
er,  but  we  have  seen  too  many  fail  with  the  same  weapon, 
and  you  succeed  too  often  with  the  rifles  of  other  men,  to  allow 
me  to  agree  with  you.  We  will  get  up  a  shooting  match,  in 
a  day  or  two,  when  you  can  show  your  skill,  and  then  Mabel 
will  form  some  judgment  concerning  your  true  character." 

"Will  that  be  foir,  serjeant?  Everybody  knows  that 
Killdeer  seldom  misses,  and  ought  we  to  make  a  trial  of 
this  sort,  when  we  all  know  what  must  be  the  result  ?" 

"  Tut — tut,  man ;  I  foresee  I  must  do  half  this  courting 
for  you.  For  one  who  is  always  inside  of  the  smoke,  in 
a  skirmish,  you  are  the  faintest-hearted  suitor  I  ever  met 
with.  Remember  Mabel  comes  of  a  bold  stock ;  and  the  girl 
will  be  as  likely  to  admire  a  man,  as  her  mother  was  before 
her." 

Here  the  serjeant  arose,  and  proceeded  to  attend  to  his 
never-ceasing  duties,  without  apology ;  the  terms  on  which 
the  guide  stood  with  all  in  the  garrison,  rendering  this  free 
dom  quite  a  matter  of  course. 

The  reader  will  have  gathered  from  the  conversation  just 
related,  one  of  the  plans  that  Serjeant  Dunham  had  in  view, 
in  causing  his  daughter  to  be  brought  to  the  frontier.  Al 
though,  necessarily,  much  weaned  from  the  caresses  and 
blandishments  that  had  rendered  his  child  so  dear  to  him, 
during  the  first  year  or  two  of  his  widowerhood,  he  had 
still  a  strong,  but  somewhat  latent,  love  for  her.  Accus 
tomed  to  command  and  to  obey,  without  being  questioned 
himself,  or  questioning  others,  concerning  the  reasonableness 
of  the  mandates,  he  was,  perhaps,  too  much  disposed  to  be 
lieve  that  his  daughter  would  marry  the  man  he  might  select, 
while  he  was  far  from  being  disposed  to  do  violence  to  her 
wishes.  The  fact  was,  few  knew  the  Pathfinder,  intimately. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  139 

without  secretly  coming  to  believe  him  to  be  one  of  extraor 
dinary  qualities.  Ever  the  same,  simple-minded,  faithful, 
utterly  without  fear,  and  yet  prudent,  foremost  in  all  war 
rantable  enterprises,  or  what  the  opinion  of  the  day  consider 
ed  as  such,  and  never  engaged  in  anything  to  call  a  blush 
to  his  cheek,  or  censure  on  his  acts ;  it  was  not  possible  to 
live  much  with  this "  being,  who,  in  his  peculiar  way,  was  a 
sort  of  type  of  what  Adam  might  have  been  supposed  to  be 
before  the  fall,  though  certainly  not  without  sin,  and  not  feel 
a  respecTand  admiration  for  him,  that  had  jao  reference  to 
his  position  injife.  It  was  remarked,  that"  no  officer  passed 
him,  withouTsaluting  him  as  if  he  had  been  his  equal ;  no 
common  man,  without  addressing  him  with  the  confidence 
and  freedom  of  a  comrade.  The  most  surprising  peculiarity 
about  the  man  himself,  was  the  entire  indifference  with  which 
he  regarded  all  distinctions  that  did  not  depend  on  personal 
merit.  He  was  respectful  to  his  superiors  from  habit,  but 
had  often  been  known  to  correct  their  mistakes,  and  to  re 
prove  their  vices,  with  a  fearlessness  that  proved  how  essen 
tially  he  regarded  the  more  material  points,  and  with  a 
natural  discrimination,  that  appeared  to  set  education  at  de 
fiance.  In  short,  a  disbeliever  in  the  ability  of  man  to  dis 
tinguish  between  good  and  evil,  without  the  aid  of  instruction, 
would  have  been  staggered  by  the  character  of  this  extraor 
dinary  inhabitant  of  the  frontier.  His  feelings  appeared  to 
possess  the  freshness  and  nature  of  the  forest  in  which  he 
passed  so  much  of  his  time ;  and  no  casuist  could  have  made 
clearer  decisions  in  matters  relating  to  right  and  wrong ;  and, 
yet,  he  was  not  without  his  prejudices,  which,  though  few, 
and  coloured  by  the  character  and  usages  of  the  individual, 
were  deep-rooted,  and  had  almost  got  to  form  a  part  of  his 
nature.  But  the  most  striking  feature  about  the  moral  or 
ganization  of  Pathfinder,  was  his  beautiful  and  unerring 
sgflse_ofjustice.  This  noble  trait,  and  without  it  no  man 
c~.n  be  truly  great,  with  it,  no  man  other  than  respectable, 
probably  had  its  unseen  influence  on  all  who  associated  with 
him ;  for  the  common  and  unprincipled  brawler  of  the  camp 
had  been  known  to  return  from  an  expedition  made  in  his 
company,  rebuked  by  his  sentiments,  softened  by  his  language, 
and  improved  by  his  example.  As  might  have  been  expected, 
with  so  elevated  a  quality,  his  fidelity  was  like  the  immove- 


140  THE   PATHFINDER. 

able  rock.  Treachery  in  him  was  classed  among  the  thing* 
that  are  impossible,  and  as  he  seldom  retired  before  his  ene 
mies,  so  was  he  never  known,  under  any  circumstances  that 
admitted  of  an  alternative,  to  abandon  a  friend.  The  affini 
ties  of  such  a  character  were,  as  a  matter  of  course,  those 
of  like  for  like.  His  associates  and  intimates,  though  more 
or  less  determined  by  chance,  were  generally  of  the  highest 
order,  as  to  moral  propensities,  for  he  appeared  to  possess  a 
species  of  instinctive  discrimination,  that  led  him,  i 


_ 

to  himself,  most  probably,  to  cling  closest  to  those  whoso 
characters  would  best  reward  his  friendship.  In  short,  it  was 
said  of  the  Pathfinder,  by  one  accustomed  to  study  his  fel 
lows,  that  he  was  a  fair  example  of  what  a  just-minded  and 
pure  man  might  be,  while  untempted  by  unruly  or  ambitious 
desires,  and  left  to  follow  the  bias  of  his  feelings,  amid  the 
solitary  grandeur  and  ennobling  influences  of  a  sublime 
nature  ;  neither  led  aside  by  the  inducements  which  influence 
airtcfclo  evil  amid  the  incentives  of  civilization  ;  nor  forgetful 
of  the  Almighty  Being,  whose  spirit  pervades  the  wilderness 
as  well  as  the  towns. 

Such  was  the  man  whom  Serjeant  Dunham  had  selected 
as  the  husband  of  Mabel.  In  making  this  choice,  he  had  not 
been  as  much  governed  by  a  clear  and  judicious  view  of  the 
merits  of  the  individual,  perhaps,  as  by  his  own  likings  ;  still, 
no  one  knew  the  Pathfinder  as  intimately  as  himself,  without 
always  conceding  to  the  honest  guide  a  high  place  in  his  es 
teem,  on  account  of  these  very  virtues.  That  his  daughter 
could  find  any  serious  objections  to  the  match,  the  old  soldier 
did  not  apprehend  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  he  saw  many 
advantages  to  himself,  in  dim  perspective,  that  were  connect 
ed  with  the  decline  of  his  days,  and  an  evening  of  life  pass 
ed  among  descendants  who  were  equally  dear  to  him  through 
both  parents.  He  had  first  made  the  proposition  to  his  friend, 
who  had  listened  to  it  kindly,  but  who,  the  serjeant  was  now 
pleased  to  find,  already  betrayed  a  willingness  to  come  into 
his  own  views,  that  was  proportioned  to  the  doubts  and  mis 
givings  proceeding  from  his  humble  distrust  of  himself. 


THE  PATHFINDER  141 


CHAPTER  X. 

"Think  not  I  love  him,  though  I  ask  for  him ; 
*T  is  but  a  peevish  boy : — yet  he  talks  well  — 
But  what  care  I  for  words  ?" 


A  WEEK  passed  in  the  usual  routine  of  a  garrison  Mabel 
was  becoming  used  to  a  situation  that,  at  first,  she  had  found 
not  only  novel,  but  a  little  irksome ;  and  the  officers  and  men, 
in  their  turn,  gradually  familiarized  to  the  presence  of  a  young 
and  blooming  girl,  whose  attire  and  carriage  had  that  air  of 
modest  gentility  about  them,  which  she  had  obtained  in  the 
family  of  her  patroness,  annoyed  her  less  by  their  ill-con 
cealed  admiration,  while  they  gratified  her  by  the  respect 
which,  she  was  fain  to  think,  they  paid  her  on  account  of  her 
father ;  but  which,  in  truth  was  more  to  be  attributed  to  her 
own  modest,  but  spirited  deportment,  than  to  any  deference 
for  the  worthy  serjeant. 

Acquaintances  made  in  a  forest,  or  in  any  circumstances 
of  unusual  excitement,  soon  attain  their  limits.  Mabel  found 
one  week's  residence  at  Oswego,  sufficient  to  determine 
her,  as  to  those  with  whom  she  might  be  intimate,  and  those 
whom  she  ought  to  avoid.  The  sort  of  neutral  position  oc 
cupied  by  her  father,  who  was  not  an  officer  while  he  was 
so  much  more  than  a  common  soldier,  by  keeping  her  aloof 
from  the  two  great  classes  of  military  life,  lessened  the  num 
ber  of  those  whom  she  was  compelled  to  know,  and  made 
the  duty  of  decision  comparatively  easy.  Still  she  soon  dis 
covered  that  there  were  a  few,  even  among  those  that  could 
aspire  to  a  seat  at  the  commandant's  table,  who  were  dis 
posed  to  overlook  the  halbert,  for  the  novelty  of  a  well-turned 
figure,  and  of  a  pretty,  winning  face ;  and  by  the  end  of  the 
first  two  or  three  days,  she  had  admirers  even  among  the 
gentlemen.  The  quarter-master,  in  particular,  a  middle- 
aged  soldier,  who  had  more  than  once  tried  the  blessings  of 
matrimony  already,  but  was  now  a  widower,  was  evidently  dis 
posed  to  increase  his  intimacy  with  the  serjeant,  though  their 


142  THE  PATHFINDER. 

duties  often  brought  them  together ;  and  the  youngsters  among 
his  messmates  did  not  fail  to  note  that  this  man  of  method, 
who  was  a  Scotsman  of  the  name  of  Muir,  was  much  more 
frequent  in  his  visits  to  the  quarters  of  his  subordinate  than 
had  formerly  been  his  wont.  A  laugn,  or  a -joke,  in  honour 
of  the  "Serjeant's  daughter,"  howevet,  limited  their  stric 
tures  ;  though  "  Mabel  Dunham"  was  soon  a  toast  that  even 
the  ensign,  or  the  lieutenant,  did  not  disdain  to  give. 

At  the  end  of  the  week,  Duncan  of  Lundie  sent  for  Serjeant 
Dunham,  after  evening  roll-call,  on  business  of  a  nature  that, 
it  was  understood,  required  a  personal  conference.  The  old 
veteran  dwelt  in  a  moveable  hut,  which,  being  placed  on 
trucks,  he  could  order  to  be  wheeled  about  at  pleasure, 
sometimes  living  in  one  part  of  the  ar^  within  the  fort,  and 
sometimes  in  another.  On  the  present  occasion,  he  had 
made  a  halt  near  the  centre,  and  there  he  was  found  by  his 
subordinate,  who  was  admitted  to  his  presence  without  any 
delay,  or  dancing  attendance  in  an  ante-chamber.  In  point 
of  fact,  there  was  very  little  difference  in  the  quality  of  the 
accommodations  allowed  to  the  officers  and  those  allowed  to 
the  men,  the  former  being  merely  granted  the  most  room  ; 
and  Mabel  and  her  father  were  lodged  nearly,  if  not  quite  as 
well,  as  the  commandant  of  the  place,  himself. 

"  Walk  in,  serjeant,  walk  in,  my  good  friend,"  said  old 
Lundie,  heartily,  as  his  inferior  stood  in  a  respectful  attitude 
at  the  door  of  a  sort  of  library  and  bed  -room  into  which  he 
had  been  ushered ; — "  walk  in,  and  take  a  seat  on  that  stool. 
I  have  sent  for  you,  man,  to  discuss  anything  but  rosters  and 
pay-rolls,  this  evening.  It  is  now  many  years  since  we  have 
been  comrades,  and  '  auld  lang  syne'  should  count  for  some 
thing,  even  between  a  major  and  his  orderly,  a  Scot  and  a 
Yankee.  Sit  ye  down,  man,  and  just  put  yourself  at  your 
ease.  It  has  been  a  fine  day,  serjeant  ?" 

"  It  has  indeed,  Major  Duncan,"  returned  the  other,  who, 
though  he  complied  so  far  as  to  take  the  seat,  was  much  too 
practised  not  to  understand  the  degree  of  respect  it  was  neces 
sary  to  maintain  in  his  manner ;  "  a  very  fine  day,  sir,  it  has 
been,  and  we  may  look  for  more  of  them,  at  this  season." 

"  I  hope  so,  with  all  my  heart.  The  crops  look  well  as 
it  is,  man,  and  you'll  be  finding  that  the  55th  make  almost 
as  good  farmers  as  soldiers.  I  never  saw  better  potatoes  in 


THE    PATHFINDER.  143 

Scotland,  than  we  are  likely  to  have  in  that  new  patch  of 
purs." 

"  They  promise  a  good  yield,  Majcs*  Duncan,  and,  in  that 
light,  a  more  comfortable  winter  than  the  last." 

"  Life  is  progressive,  serjeant,  in  its  comforts,  as  well  as 
in  its  need  of  them.  We  grow  old,  and  I  begin  to  think  it 
time  to  retire  and  settle  in  life.  I  feel  that  my  working  days 
are  nearly  over." 

"  The  king,  God  bless  him,  sir,  has  much  good  service,  in 
your  honour,  yet." 

"  It  may  be  so,  Serjeant  Dunham,  especially  if  he  should 
happen  to  have  a  spare  lieutenant-colonelcy  left." 

"  The  55th  will  be  honoured  the  day  that  commission  is 
given  to  Duncan  of  Lundie,  sir." 

"And  Duncan  of  Lundie  will  be  honoured  the  day  he 
receives  it.  But,  serjeant,  if  you  have  never  had  a  lieutenant- 
colonelcy,  you  have  had  a  good  wife,  and  that  is  the  next 
thing  to  rank,  in  making  a  man  happy." 

"  I  have  been  married,  Major  Duncan ;  but  it  is  now  a 
long  time  since  I  have  had  no  drawback  on  the  love  I  bear 
his  majesty  and  my  duty." 

<;  What,  man,  not  even  the  love  you  bear  that  active, 
little,  round-limbed,  rosy-cheeked  daughter,  that  I  have  seen 
in  the  fort,  these  last  few  days !  Out  upon  you,  serjeant ' 
old  fellow  as  I  am,  I  could  almost  love  that  little  lassie,  my 
self,  and  send  the  lieutenant-colonelcy  to  the  devil." 

"  We  all  know  where  Major  Duncan's  heart  is,  and  that 
is  in  Scotland,  where  a  beautiful  lady  is  ready  and  willing 
to  make  him  happy,  as  soon  as  his  own  sense  of  duty  shall 
permit." 

"  Ay,  hope  is  ever  a  far-off  thing,  serjeant,"  returned  the 
superior,  a  shade  of  melancholy  passing  over  his  hard  Scot 
tish  features  as  he  spoke ;  "  and  bonny  Scotland  is  a  far-off 
country.  Well,  if  we  have  no  heather  and  oat-meal  in  this 
region,  we  have  venison  for  the  killing  it ;  and  salmon  as 
plenty  as  at  Berwick-upon-Tweed.  Is  it  true,  serjeant,  that 
the  men  complain  of  having  been  over-venisoned,  and  over- 
pigeoned,  of  late  ?" 

"  Not  for  some  weeks,  Major  Duncan,  for  neither  deer  nor 
birds  are  so  plenty  at  this  season  as  they  have  been.  They 
begin  to  throw  their  remarks  about  concerning  the  salmon, 


144  THE  PATHFINDER. 

but  I  trust  we  shall  get  through  the  summer  without  any 
serious  disturbance  on  the  score  of  food.  The  Scotch  in  the- 
battalion  do,  indeed,  talk  more  than  is  prudent  of  their  want 
of  oat-meal,  grumbling  occasionally  of  our  wheaten  bread." 

"Ah'  that  is  human  nature,  Serjeant;  pure  unadulterated 
Scotch  human  nature,  A  cake,  man,  to  say  the  truth,  is  an 
agreeable  morsel,  and  I  often  see  the  time,  when  I  pine  foi  a 
bite,  myself." 

"  If  the  feeling  gets  to  be  troublesome,  Major  Duncan, — 
in  the  men  I  mean,  sir,  for  I  would  not  think  of  saying  so 
disrespectful  a  thing  to  your  honour, — but  if  the  men  ever 
pine  seriously  for  their  natural  food,  I  would  humbly  recom 
mend  that  some  oat-meal  be  imported,  or  prepared  in  this 
country  for  them,  and  I  think  we  shall  hear  no  more  of  it. 
A  very  little  would  answer  for  a  cure,  sir." 

"  You  are  a  wag,  serjeant ;  but  hang  me  if  I  am  sure  you 
are  not  right.  There  may  be  sweeter  things  in  this  world, 
after  all,  than  oat-meal.  You  have  a  sweet  daughter,  Dun 
ham,  for  one." 

"  The  girl  is  like  her  mother,  Major  Duncan,  and  will 
pass  inspection,'  said  the  serjeant,  proudly.  "  Neither  was 
brought  up  on  anything  better  than  good  American  flour. 
The  gin  will  pass  inspection,  sir." 

"  That  would  she,  I  '11  answer  for  it.  Well,  I  may  as  well 
come  to  the  point  at  once,  man,  and  bring  up  my  reserve 
into  the  front  of  the  battle.  Here  is  Davy  Muir,  the  quarter 
master,  is  disposed  to  make  your  daughter  his  wife,  and  he 
has  just  got  me  to  open  the  matter  to  you,  being  fearful  of 
compromitting  his  own  dignity — and  I  may  as  well  add,  that 
half  the  youngsters  in  the  fort  toast  her,  and  talk  of  her  from 
morning  till  night." 

"  She  is  much  honoured,  sir,"  returned  the  father,  stiffly, 
u  but  I  trust  the  gentlemen  will  find  something  more  worthy 
of  them,  to  talk  about,  ere  long.  I  hope  to  see  her  the  wile 
of  an  honest  man  before  many  weeks,  sir." 

"  Yes,  Davy  is  an  honest  man,  and  that  is  more  than  can 
be  said  for  all  in  the  Quarter-Master's  department,  I  'm  think 
ing,  serjeant,"  returned  Lundie,  with  a  slight  smile.  "  Well, 
then,  may  I  tell  the  Cupid-stricken  youth,  that  the  matter  is 
as  good  as  settled  ?" 

"I  thank  your  honour,  but  Mabel  is  betrothed  to  another  M 


THE    PATHFINDER.  145 

"  The  devil  she  is  !     That  will  produce  a  stir  in  the  fort ; 
though  I  'm  not  sorry  to  hear  it,  either,  for  to  be  frank  with  \ 
you,  serjeant,  I  'm  no  great  admirer  of  unequal  matches."     ^ 

"  I  think  with  your  honour,  and  have  no  desire  to  see  my 
daughter  an  officer's  lady.  If  she  can  get  as  high  as  her 
mother  was  before  her,  it  ought  to  satisfy  any  reasonable 
woman." 

"And  may  T  ask,  serjeant,  who  is  the  lucky  man  that  you 
intend  to  call  son-in-law  ?" 

"  The  Pathfinder,  your  honour." 

"  Pathfinder !" 

"  The  same,  Major  Duncan ;  and  in  naming  him  to  you, 
I  give  you  his  whole  history.  No  one  is  better  known  on 
this  frontier,  than  my  honest,  brave,  true-hearted  friend." 

"All  that  is  true  enough;  but  is  he,  after  all,  the  sort  of 
person  to  make  a  girl  of  twenty  happy  ?•" 

"  Why  not,  your  honour  ?  the  man  is  at  the  head  of  his 
calling.  There  is  no  other  guide,  or  scout,  connected  with 
the  army,  that  has  half  the  reputation  of  Pathfinder,  or 
who  deserves  to  have  it  half  as  well." 

"  Very  true,  serjeant ;  but  is  the  reputation  of  a  scout,  ex 
actly  the  sort  of  renown  to  captivate  a  girl's  fancy  ? 

"  Talking  of  girls'  fancies,  sir,  is,  in  my  humble  opinion, 
much  like  talking  of  a  recruit's  judgment.  If  we  were  to 
take  the  movements  of  the  awkward  squad,  sir,  as  a  guide,  we 
should  never  form  a  decent  line,  in  battalion,  Major  Duncan." 

"  But  your  daughter  has  nothing  awkward  about  her ;  for 
a  genteeler  girl,  of  her  class,  could  not  be  found  in  old  Al- 
bin  itself.  Is  she  of  your  way  of  thinking,  in  this  matter  ? — 
though,  I  suppose  she  must  be,  as  you  say  she  is  betrothed." 

"  We  have  not  yet  conversed  on  the  subject,  your  honour  • 
but  I  consider  her  mind  as  good  as  made  up,  from  several 
little  circumstances  that  might  be  named." 

"  And  what  are  these  circumstances,  serjeant  ?"  asked  the 
major,  who  began  to  take  more  interest  than  he  had  at  first 
felt,  in  the  subject.  "  I  confess  a  little  curiosity  to  know  some 
thing  about  a  woman's  mind,  being,  as  you  know,  a  bachelor 
myself." 

"  Why,  your  honour,  when  I  speak  of  the  Pathfinder  to 
the  girl,  she  always  looks  me  full  in  the  face ;  chimes  in  with 
everr  thin**  I  sav  in  his  favour  and  has  a  frank,  open  way 
3 


146  THE    PATHFINDER. 

with  her,  which  says  as  much  as  if  she  half  considered  him, 
already,  as  a  husband." 

"  Hum — and  these  signs  you  think,  Dunham,  are  faithful 
tokens  of  your  daughter's  feelings  ?" 

"  I  do,  your  honour,  for  they  strike  me  as  natural.  When 
I  find  a  man,  sir,  who  looks  me  full  in  the  face,  while  he 
praises  an  officer — for,  begging  your  honour's  pardon,  the 
men  will  sometimes  pass  their  strictures  on  their  betters — and 
when  I  find  a  man  looking  me  in  the  eyes,  as  he  praises  his 
captain,  I  always  set  it  down  that  the  fellow  is  honest,  and 
means  what  he  says." 

"  Is  there  not  some  material  difference  in  the  age  of  the 
intended  bridegroom,  and  that  of  his  pretty  bride,  serjeant  ?" 

"  You  are  quite  right,  sir ;  Pathfinder  is  well  advanced 
towards  forty,  and  Mabel  has  every  prospect  of  happiness 
that  a  young  woman  can  derive  from  the  certainty  of  possess 
ing  an  experienced  husband.  I  was  quite  forty  myself,  your 
honour,  when  I  married  her  mother." 

"  But,  will  your  daughter  be  as  likely  to  admire  a  green 
hunting-shirt,  such  as  that  our  worthy  guide  wears,  with  a 
fox-skin  cap,  as  the  smart  uniform  of  the  55th?" 

"  Perhaps  not,  sir  ;  and,  therefore,  she  will  have  the  merit 
of  self-denial,  which  always  makes  a  young  woman  wisei 
and  better." 

"  And  are  you  not  afraid  that  she  may  be  left  a  widow 
while  still  a  young  woman  ?  What  between  wild  beasts,  and 
wilder  savages,  Pathfinder  may  be  said  to  carry  his  life  in 
his  hand." 

"'  Every  bullet  has  its  billet,'  Lundie,"  for  so  the  major 
was  fond  of  being  called,  in  his  moments  of  condescension, 
and  when  not  engaged  in  military  affairs,  "  and  no  man  in 
the  55th  can  call  himself  beyond,  or  above,  the  chances  of 
sudden  death.  In  that  particular,  Mabel  would  gain  nothing 
by  a  change.  Besides,  sir,  if  I  may  speak  freely  on  such  a 
subject,  I  much  doubt  if  ever  Pathfinder  dies  in  battle,  or  by 
any  of  the  sudden  chances  of  the  wilderness." 

"And  why  so,  serjeant?"  asked  the  major,  looking  at  his 
inferior,  with  the  sort  of  reverence  which  a  Scot  of  his  day, 
was  more  apt  than  at  present  to  entertain  for  mysterious 
agencies.  "  He  is  a  soldier,  so  far  as  danger  is  concerned, 
and  one  that  is  much  more  than  usually  exposed,  and,  being 


THE   PATHFINDER.  147 

free  of  his  person,  why  should  he  expect  to  escape,  when 
others  do  not  ?" 

"  I  do  not  believe,  your  honour,  that  the  Pathfinder  considers 
his  own  chances,  better  than  any  one's  else,  but  the  man 
will  never  die  by  a  bullet.  I  have  seen  him  so  often,  hand 
ling  his  rifle  with  as  much  composure  as  if  it  were  a  shepherd's 
crook,  in  the  midst  of  the  heaviest  showers  of  bullets,  and 
under  so  many  extraordinary  circumstances,  that  I  do  not 
think  Providence  means  he  should  ever  fall  in  that  manner. 
And  yet,  if  there  be  a  man  in  his  Majesty's  dominions  who 
really  deserves  such  a  death,  it  is  Pathfinder !" 

"  We  never  know,  serjeant,"  returned  Lundie,  with  a 
countenance  that  was  grave  with  thought,  "  and  the  less  we 
say  about  it,  perhaps,  the  better.  But,  will  your  daughter — 
Mabel,  I  think,  you  call  her — will  Mabel  be  as  willing  to  accept 
one,  who,  after  all,  is  a  mere  hanger-on  of  the  army,  as  to 
take  one  from  the  service  itself?  There  is  no  hope  of  promo 
tion  for  the  guide,  serjeant !" 

"  He  is  at  the  head  of  his  corps,  already,  your  honour. 
In  short,  Mabel  has  made  up  her  mind  on  this  subject,  and, 
as  your  honour  has  had  the  condescension  to  speak  to  me 
about  Mr.  Muir,  I  trust  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  say  that 
the  girl  is  as  good  as  billeted  for  life." 

*4  Well,  well,  this  is  your  own  matter,  and,  now — Serjeant 
Dunham !" 

"  Your  honour,"  said  the  other,  rising,  and  giving  the  cus 
tomary  salute. 

"  You  have  been  told  it  is  my  intention  to  send  you  down 
among  the  Thousand  Islands,  for  the  next  month.  All  the 
old  subalterns  have  had  their  tours  of  duty  in  that  quar 
ter — all  that  I  like  to  trust,  at  least, — and  it  has,  at  length, 
come  to  your  turn.  Lieutenant  Muir,  it  is  true,  claims  his 
right,  but  being  Quarter-Master,  I  do  not  like  to  break  up 
well-established  arrangements.  Are  the  men  drafted  ?" 

"  Every  thing  is  ready,  your  honour.  The  draft  is  made, 
and  I  understood  that  the  canoe  which  got  in  last  night, 
brought  a  message  to  say  that  the  party  already  below,  is 
looking  out  for  the  relief." 

"  It  did,  and  you  must  sail  the  day  after  to-morrow,  if  not 
to-morrow  night.  It  will  be  wise,  perhaps,  to  sail  in  the 
dark." 


148  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  So  Jasper  thinks,  Major  Duncan,  and  I  know  no  one 
more  to  be  depended  on,  in  such  an  affair,  than  young  Jasper 
Western." 

"  Young  Jasper  Eau-douce !"  said  Lundie,  a  slight  smile 
gathering  around  his  usually  stern  mouth.  "  Will  that  lad 
be  of  your  party,  Serjeant  ?" 

"  Your  honour  will  remember  that  the  Scud  never  quits 
port  without  him." 

"  True,  but  all  general  rules  have  their  exceptions.  Have 
I  not  seen  a  sea-faring  person  about  the  fort  within  the  last 
few  days  ?" 

"  No  doubt,  your  honour;  it  is  Master  Cap,  a  brother-in- 
law  of  mine,  who  brought  my  daughter  from  below." 

"  Why  not  put  him  in  the  Scud  for  this  cruise,  serjeant, 
and  leave  Jasper  behind  ?  Your  brother-in-law  would  like 
the  variety  of  a  fresh- water  cruise,  and  you  would  enjoy  more 
of  his  company." 

"  I  intended  to  ask  your  honour's  permission  to  take  him 
along,  but  he  must  go  as  a  volunteer.  Jasper  is  too  brave  a 
lad  to  be  turned  out  of  his  command  without  a  reason,  Major 
Duncan;  and  I'm  afraid  brother  Cap  despises  fresh  water  too 
much  to  dc  duty  on  it." 

"  Quite  right,  serjeant,  and  I  leave  all  this  to  your  own 
discretion.  Eau-douce  must  retain  his  command,  on  second 
thoughts.  You  intend  that  Pathfinder  shall  also  be  of  the 
party  ?" 

"  If  your  honour  approves  of  it.  There  will  be  service  for 
both  the  guides,  the  Indian  as  well  as  the  white  man." 

"  I  think  you  are  right.  Well,  serjeant,  I  wish  you  good 
luck  in  the  enterprise ;  and  remember  the  post  is  to  be  de 
stroyed  and  abandoned  when  your  command  is  withdrawn. 
It  will  have  done  its  work  by  that  time,  or  we  shall  have  failed 
entirely,  and  it  is  too  ticklish  a  position  to  be  maintained  unne 
cessarily.  You  can  retire." 

Serjeant  Dunham  gave  the  customary  salute,  turned  on  his 
heels,  as  if  they  had  been  pivots,  and  had  got  the  door  nearly 
drawn-to  after  him,  when  he  was  suddenly  recalled. 

"  I  had  forgotten,  serjeant,  the  younger  officers  have  begged 
for  a  shooting  match,  and  to-rnorrow  has  been  named  for  the 
day.  All  competitors  will  be  admitted,  and  the  prizes  will 
be  a  silver-mounted  powder-horn,  a  leathern  flask  ditto,"  read- 


THE  PATHFINDER.  149 

ing  from  a  piece  of  paper,  "  as  I  see  by  the  professional  jar 
gon  of  this  bill,  and  a  silk  calash  for  a  lady.  The  latter  is 
to  enable  the  victor  to  show  his  gallantry,  by  making  an 
offering  of  it  to  her  he  best  loves." 

"All  very  agreeable,  your  honour,  at  least  to  him  that 
succeeds.  Is  the  Pathfinder  to  be  permitted  to  enter  ?" 

"  I  do  not  well  see  how  he  can  be  excluded,  if  he  choose 
to  come  forward.  Latterly,  I  have  observed  that  he  takes  no 
share  in  these  sports,  probably  from  a  conviction  of  his  own 
unequalled  skill." 

"  That's  it,  Major  Duncan ;  the  honest  fellow  knows  there 
is  not  a  man  on  the  frontier  who  can  equal  him,  and  he  does 
not  wish  to  spoil  the  pleasure  of  others.  I  think  we  may 
trust  to  his  delicacy  in  anything,  sir.  Perhaps  it  may  be  as 
well  to  let  him  have  his  own  way." 

"  In  this  instance  we  must,  serjeant.  Whether  he  will  be 
as  successful  in  all  others,  remains  to  be  seen.  I  wish  you 
good  evening,  Dunham." 

The  serjeant  now  withdrew,  leaving  Duncan  of  Lundie  to 
his  own  thoughts.  That  they  were  not  altogether  disagree 
able,  was  to  be  inferred  from  the  smiles  which  occasionally 
covered  a  countenance  that  was  hard  and  martial  in  its  usuai 
expression,  though  there  were  moments  in  which  all  its  severe 
sobriety  prevailed.  Half  an  hour  might  have  passed,  when 
a  tap  at  the  door  was  answered  by  a  direction  to  enter.  A 
middle-aged  man,  in  the  dress  of  an  officer,  but  whose  uniform 
wanted  the  usual  smartness  of  the  profession,  made  his  ap 
pearance,  and  was  saluted  as  "  Mr.  Muir." 

"  I  have  come,  sir,  at  your  bidding,  to  know  my  fortune," 
said  the  quarter-master,  in  a  strong  Scotch  accent,  as  soon 
as  he  had  taken  the  seat  which  was  proffered  to  him.  "  To 
say  the  truth  to  you,  Major  Duncan,  this  girl  is  making  as 
much  havoc  in  the  garrison,  as  the  French  did  before  Ty ;  I 
never  witnessed  so  general  a  rout,  in  so  short  a  time !" 

"  Surely,  Davy,  you  don't  mean  to  persuade  me  that  your 
young  and  unsophisticated  heart,  is  in  such  a  flame,  after  one 
week's  ignition !  Why,  man,  this  is  worse  than  the  affair  in 
Scotland,  where  it  was  said  the  heat  within  was  so  intense 
that  it  just  burnt  a  hole  through  your  own  precious  body, 
and  left  a  place  for  all  the  lassies  to  peer  in  at,  to  see  what 
Iho  combustible  material  was  worth." 
13* 


150  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  Ye  '11  have  your  own  way,  Major  Duncan,  and  yout 
father  and  mother  would  have  theirs  before  ye,  even  if  tho 
enemy  were  in  the  camp.  I  see  nothing  so  extraordinar'  in 
young  people's  following  tho  bent  of  their  inclinations  and 
wishes." 

"  But  you've  followed  yours  so  often,  Davy,  that  I  should 
think,  by  this  time,  it  had  lost  the  edge  of  novelty.  Including 
that  informal  affair  in  Scotland,  when  you  were  a  lad,  you've 
been  married  four  times  already." 

"  Only  three,  major,  as  I  hope  to  get  another  wife !  I've 
not  yet  had  my  number ;  no — no — only  three." 

"  I  'm  thinking,  Davy,  you  don't  include  the  first  affair,  I 
mentioned ;  that,  in  which  there  was  no  parson." 

"  And  why  should  I,  major  ?  The  courts  decided  that  it 
was  no  marriage,  and  what  more  could  a  man  want !  The 
woman  took  advantage  of  a  slight  amorous  propensity,  that 
may  be  a  weakness  in  my  disposition,  perhaps,  and  inveigled 
me  into  a  contract  that  "was  found  to  be  illegal." 

"  If  I  remember  right,  Muir,  there  were  thought  to  be  two 
sides  to  that  question,  in  the  time  of  it !" 

"  It  would  be  but  an  indifferent  question,  my  dear  major, 
that  had  n't  two  sides  to  it ;  and  I  've  known  many  that  had 
three.  But  the  poor  woman's  dead,  and  there  was  no  issue, 
so  nothing  came  of  it,  after  all.  Then  I  was  particularly  un 
fortunate  with  my  second  wife — -I  say  second,  major,  out  of 
deference  to  you,  and  on  the  mere  supposition  that  the  first 
was  a  marriage  at  all — but  first  or  second,  I  was  particularly 
unfortunate  with  Jeannie  Graham,  who  died  in  the  first  lus 
trum,  leaving  neither  chick  nor  chiel  behind  her.  I  do  think 
if  Jeannie  had  survived  I  never  should  have  turned  my 
thoughts  towards  another  wife." 

"  But  as-she  did  not,  you  married  twice  after  her  death- 
and  are  desirous  of  doing  so  a  third  time." 

"  The  truth  can  never  justly  be  gainsayed,  Major  Duncan, 
and  I  am  always  ready  to  avow  it.  I  'm  thinking,  Lundie, 
you  are  melancholar',  this  fine  evening  ?" 

"  No,  Muir,  not  melancholy  absolutely,  but  a  little  thought 
ful,  I  confess.  I  was  looking  back  to  my  boyish  days,  when 
I,  the  laird's  son,  and  you  the  parson's,  roamed  about  our 
native  hills,  happy  and  careless  boys,  taking  little  heed  to  the 
future ;  and  then  have  followed  some  thoughts,  thai  may  be 


THE    PATHFINDER.  151 

a  little  painful,  concerning  that  future,  as  it  has  turned  out 
tc  be." 

"  Surely,  Lundie,  ye  do  not  complain  of  your  portion  of 
it.  You've  risen  to  be  a  major,  and  will  soon  be  a  lieutenant- 
colonel,  if  letters  tell  the  truth,  while  I  am  just  one  step  higher 
than  when  your  honoured  father  gave  me  my  first  commis 
sion,  and  a  poor  deevil  of  a  quarter-master." 

"  And  the  four  wives  ?" 

"  Three,  Lundie ;  three  only  that  were  legal,  even  under 
our  own  liberal  and  sanctified  laws." 

"Well,  then,  let  it  be  three.  Ye  know,  Davy,"  said 
Major  Duncan,  insensibly  dropping  into  the  pronunciation 
and  dialect  of  his  youth,  as  is  much  the  practice  with  edu 
cated  Scotchmen,  as  they  warm  with  a  subject  that  comes 
near  the  heart. — "  Ye  know,  Davy,  that  my  own  choice  has 
long  been  made,  and  in  how  anxious  and  hope-wearied  a 
manner,  I  Ve  waited  for  that  happy  hour  when  I  can  call  the 
woman  I  Ve  so  long  loved  a  wife ;  and,  here,  have  you, 
without  fortune,  name,  birth,  or  merit;  I  mean  particular 
merit — " 

"Na — na — dinna  say  that,  Lundie  —  the  Muirs  are  of 
gude  bluid." 

"  Well,  then,  without  aught  but  bluid,  ye  Ve  wived  four 
times—" 

"  I  tall  ye,  but  thrice,  Lundie.  Ye  '11  weaken  auld  friend 
ship,  if  ye  call  it  four." 

"  Put  it  at  ye'r  own  number,  Davy ;  and  its  far  more  than 
ye'r  share.  Our  lives  have  been  very  different  on  the  score 
of  matrimony,  at  least ;  you  must  allow  that,  my  old  friend." 

"  And  which  do  you  think  has  been  the  gainer,  major, 
speaking  as  frankly  the'gither,  as  we  did  when  lads." 

"  Nay,  I  Ve  nothing  to  conceal.  My  days  have  passed  in 
hope  deferred,  while  yours  have  passed  in — " 

"  Not  in  hope  realized,  I  give  you  mine  honour,  Major 
Duncan,"  interrupted  the  quarter-master.  "  Each  new  expe 
riment  I  have  thought  might  prove  an  advantage,  but  dis 
appointment  seems  the  lot  of  man  ! — Ah!  this  is  a  vain  world 
of  ours,  Lundie,  it  must  be  owned ;  and  in  nothing  vainer 
than  in  matrimony." 

"  And  yet  you  are  ready  to  put  your  neck  into  the  noost 
for  the  fifth  time  ?" 


152  THE  PATHFINDER. 

'•'  I  desire  to  say,  it  will  be  but  the  fourth,  Major  Duncan," 
said  the  quarter-master,  positively ;  then,  instantly  changing 
the  expression  of  his  face  to  one  of  boyish  rapture,  he  added 
— "  But  this  Mabel  Dunham  is  a  rara  avis !  Our  Scotch 
lassies  are  fair  and  pleasant,  but  it  must  be  owned  these  colo 
nials  are  of  surpassing  comeliness." 

"  You  will  do  well  to  recollect  your  commission  and  blood, 
Davy  :  I  believe  all  four  of  your  wives — " 

"  I  wish,  my  dear  Lundie,  ye  'd  be  more  accurate  in  your 
arithmetic — three  times  one,  make  three." 

"  All  three,  then,  were  what  might  be  termed  gentlewo 
men." 

"  That 's  just  it,  major.  Three  were  gentlewomen,  as  you 
say,  and  the  connections  were  suitable." 

"  And  the  fourth  being  the  daughter  of  my  father's  gar 
dener,  the  connection  was  unsuitable.  But  have  you  no  feav 
that  marrying  the  child  of  a  non-commissioned  officer  who 
is  in  the  same  corps  with  yourself,  will  have  the  effect  to 
lessen  your  consequence  in  the  regiment  ?" 

"  That  Js  just  been  my  weakness  through  life,  Major  Dun 
can  ;  for  I  've  always  married  without  regard  to  conse 
quences.  Every  man  has  his  besetting  sin,  and  matrimony, 
I  fear,  is  mine.  And,  now  that  we  have  discussed  what  may 
be  called  the  principles  of  the  connection,  I  will  just  ask,  if 
you  did  me  the  favour  to  speak  to  the  serjeant  on  the  trifling 
affair?" 

"  I  did,  David  ;  and  am  sorry  to  say  for  your  hopes,  that 
I  see  no  great  chance  of  your  succeeding." 

"Not  succeeding! — An  officer,  and  a  quarter-master,  in 
the  bargain,  and  not  succeed  with  a  Serjeant's  daughter !" 

"  It 's  just  that,  Davy." 

"  And  why  not,  Lundie  ? — will  you  have  the  goodness  to 
answer  just  that  ?" 

"  The  girl  is  betrothed.  Hand  plighted,  word  passed,  love 
pledged — no,  hang  me  if  I  believe  that,  either ;  but  she  is 
betrothed." 

kt  Well  that 's  an  obstacle,  it  must  be  avowed,  major, 
though  it  counts  for  little,  if  the  heart  is  free." 

"  Quite  true,  and  I  think  it  probable  the  heart  is  free,  in  this 
case  ;  for  the  intended  husband  appears  to  be  the  choice  of 
the  father,  rather  than  of  the  daughter  " 


THE  PATHFINDER,  153 

"And  who  may  it  be,  major?"  asked  the  quarter-master, 
who  viewed  the  whole  matter  with  the  philosophy  and  cool 
ness  that  are  acquired  by  use.  "  T  do  noi  recollect  any  plau 
sible  suitor,  that  is  likely  to  stand  in  my  way." 

44  No,  you  are  the  only  plausible  suitor  on  the  frontier, 
Davy.  The  happy  man  is  Pathfinder." 

44  Pathfinder,  Major  Duncan  ?" 

44  No  more,  nor  any  less,  David  Muir.  Pathfinder  is  the 
man ;  but  it  may  relieve  your  jealousy  a  little,  to  know  that, 
in  my  judgment  at  least,  it  is  a  match  of  the  father's,  rather 
than  of  the  daughter's  seeking." 

44 1  thought  as  much !"  exclaimed  the  quarter-master, 
drawing  a  long  breath,  like  one  who  felt  relieved  ;  "  it 's 
quite  impossible,  that  with  my  experience  in  human  na 
ture — " 

44  Particularly  hu-woman's  nature,  David !" 

44  Ye  will  have  ye'r  joke,  Lundie,  let  who  will  suffer !  But 
I  did  not  think  it  possible  I  could  be  deceived  as  to  the  young 
woman's  inclinations,  which  I  think  I  may  boldly  pronounce 
to  be  altogether  above  the  condition  of  Pathfinder.  As  for 
the  individual  himself — why,  time  will  show." 

"  Now,  tell  me  frankly,  Davy  Muir,"  said  Lundie,  stop 
ping  short  in  his  walk,  and  looking  the  other  earnestly  in  the 
face,  with  a  comical  expression  of  surprise,  that  rendered  the 
veteran's  countenance  ridiculously  earnest — "  do  you  really 
suppose,  a  girl  like  the  daughter  of  Serjeant  Dunham,  can 
take  a  serious  fancy  to  a  man  of  your  years,  and  appearance, 
and  experience,  I  might  add  V 

"  Hout,  awa',  Lundie,  y  amr  know  the  sax,  and  that 's 
the  reason  ye'r  unmarried  in  ye'r  forty-fifth  year.  It's  a 
fearfu'  time  ye've  been  a  bachelor,  Major !" 

44  And  what  may  be  your  age,  Lieutenant  Muir,  if  I  'may 
presume  to  ask  so  delicate  a  question . 

44  Forty-seven ;  I  '11  no  deny  it,  Lundie ;  and  if  I  get  Mabel, 
there  '11  be  just  a  wife  for  every  twa  lustrums !  3ut  I  did'na 
think  Serjeant  Dunham  would  be  so  humble-minded,  as  to 
dream  of  giving  that  sweet  lass  of  his  to  one  like  the  Path 
finder  !" 

44  There 's  no  dream  about  it,  Davy ;  the  man  is  as  serious 
as  a  soldier  about  to  be  flogged." 

'*  Well,  well,  major,  we  are  auld  friends,"-  -both  ran  into 


154  THE   PATHFINDER. 

the  Scotch,  or  avoided  it,  as  they  approached  or  drew  away 
from  their  younger  days,  in  the  dialogue^-*-"  and  ought  to 
know  how  to  take  and  give  a  joke,  off  duty.  It  is  possible 
the  worthy  man  has  not  understood  my  hints,  or  he  never 
would  have  thought  of  such  a  thing.  The  difference  between 
an  officer's  consort,  and  a  guide's  woman,  is  as  vast  as  that 
between  the  antiquity  of  Scotland,  and  the  antiquity  of  Ame 
rica.  I  'm  auld  bluid,  too,  Lundie." 

"  Take  my  word  for  it,  Davy,  your  antiquity  will  do  you 
no  good,  in  this  affair;  and  as  for  your  blood,  it  is  not 
older  than  your  bones.  Well,  well,  man,  ye  know  the  ser- 
jeant's  answer,  and  so  you  perceive  that  my  influence,  on 
which  you  counted  so  much,  can  do  nought  for  ye.  .  Let  us 
take  a  glass  the'gither,  Davy,  for  auld  acquaintance  sake , 
and  then  ye  '11  be  doing  well  to  remember  the  party  that 
marches  the  morrow,  and  to  forget  Mabel  Dunham  as  fast  as 
ever  you  can." 

"  Ah !  major,  I  have  always  found  it  easier  to  forget  a 
wife,  than  to  forget  a  sweetheart !  When  a  couple  are  fairly 
married,  all  is  settled  but  the  death,  as  one  may  say,  which 
must  finally  part  us  all ;  and  it  seems  to  me  awfu'  irreverent 
to  disturb  the  departed ;  whereas,  there  is  so  much  anxiety, 
and  hope,  and  felicity,  in  expectation  like,  with  the  lassie, 
that  it  keeps  thought  alive." 

"  That  is  just  my  idea  of  your  situation,  Davy,  for  I  never 
supposed  you  expected  any  more  felicity  with  either  of  your 
wives.  Now,  I  've  heard  of  fellows  who  were  so  stupid  as 
to  look  forward  to  happiness  with  their  wives,  even  beyond 
the  grave.  I  drink  to  your  success,  or  to  your  speedy  re 
covery  from  this  attack,  lieutenant ;  and  I  admonish  you  to 
be  more  cautious  in  future,  as  some  of  these  violent  cases 
may  yet  carry  you  off:" 

"  Many  thanks,  dear  major ;  and  a  speedy  termination  to 
an  old  courtship,  of  which  I  know  something.  This  is  real 
mountain-dew,  Lundie,  and  it  warms  the  heart  like  a  gleam 
of  bonny  Scotland.  As  for  the  men  you  Ve  just  mentioned, 
they  could  have  had  but  one  wife  a-piece,  for  where  there  are 
several,  the  deeds  of  the  women,  themselves,  may  carry 
them  different  ways.  I  think  a  reasonable  husband  ought  to 
be  satisfied  with  passing  his  allotted  time  with  any  particular 
Vfife,  in  this  world,  and  not  to  go  about  moping  for  things 


THE    PATHFINDER.  155 

Oirattaiaable.  I  'm  infinitely  obliged  to  you,  Major  Duncan, 
for  this  and  all  your  other  acts  of  friendship ;  and  if  you 
could  but  add  another,  I  should  think  you  had  not  altogether 
forgotten  the  play-fellow  of  your  boyhood." 

"  Well,  Davy,  if  the  request  be  reasonable,  and  such  as  a 
superior  ought  to  grant,  out  with  it,  man." 

"  If  ye  could  only  contrive  a  little  service  for  me,  down 
among  the  Thousand  Isles,  for  a  fortnight,  or  so,  I  think  this 
matter  might  be  settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  parties.  Just 
remember,  Lundie,  the  lassie  is  the  only  marriageable  white 
female  on  this  frontier !" 

"  There  is  always  duty  for  one  in  your  line,  at  a  post, 
however  small ;  but  this  below  can  be  done  by  the  serjeant  as 
well  as  by  the  Quarter-Master  General,  and  better  too." 

"  But  not  better  than  by  a  regimental  officer.  There  is 
great  waste,  in  common,  among  the  orderlies." 

"  I  '11  think  of  it,  Muir,"  said  the  major,  laughing,  "  and 
you  shall  have  my  answer  in  the  morning.  Here  will  be  a 
fine  occasion,  man,  the  morrow,  to  show  yourself  off  before 
the  lady;  you  are  expert  with  the  rifle,  and  prizes  are  to  be 
won.  Make  up  your  mind  to  display  your  skill,  and  who 
knows  what  may  yet  happen  before  the  Scud  sails." 

"  I  'm  thinking  most  of  the  yojung  men  will  try  their  hands 
in  this  sport,  major  ?" 

"  That  will  they,  and  some  of  the  old  ones,  too,  if  you 
appear.  To  keep  you  in  countenance,  I  '11  try  a  shot  or  two 
myself,  Davy  ;  and  you  know  I  have  some  name  that  way." 

"  It  might,  indeed,  do  good !  The  female  heart,  Major 
Duncan,  is  susceptible  in  many  different  modes,  and  some 
times  in  a  way  that  the  rules  of  philosophy  might  reject. 
Some  require  a  suitor  to  sit  down  before  them,  as  it  might 
be,  in  a  regular  siege,  and  only  capitulate  when  the  place  can 
hold  out  no  longer  ;  others  again  like  to  be  carried  by  storm ; 
while  there  are  hussies  who  can  only  be  caught  by  leading 
them  into  an  ambush.  The  former  is  the  most  creditable  and 
officer-like  process,  perhaps ;  but  I  must  say,  I  think  the  last 
the  most  pleasing." 

"  An  opinion  formed  from  experience,  out  of  all  question. 
And  what  of  the  storming  parties  ?" 

"  They  may  do  for  younger  men,  Lundie,"  returned  the 
quarter-master,  rising  and  winking,  a  liberty  that  he  often 


156  THE    PATHFINDER. 

took  with  his  commanding  officer,  on  the  score  of  a  long  intrt- 
macy ;  "every  period  of  lifo  has  its  necessities,  and  at  forty- 
seven  it's  just  as  well  to  trust  a  little  to  the  head.  I  wish 
you  a  very  good  even,  Major  Duncan,  and  freedom  from  gout, 
with  a  sweet  and  refreshing  sleep." 

"  The  same  to  yourself,  Mr.  Muir,  with  many  thanks.  Re 
member  the  passage  of  arms  for  the  morrow." 

The  Quarter-Master  withdrew,  leaving  Lundie  in  his  library 
to  reflect  on  what  had  just  passed.  Use  had  so  accustomed 
Major  Duncan  to  Lieutenant  Muir,  and  all  his  traits  and  hu 
mours,  that  the  conduct  of  the  latter  did  not  strike  the  former 
with  the  same  force,  as  it  will  probably  the  reader.  In  truth, 
while  all  men  act  under  one  common  law  that  is  termed  na 
ture,  the  varieties  in  their  dispositions,  modes  of  judging, 
feelings,  and  selfishness,  are  infinite. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

"  Compel  the  hawke,  to  sit  that  is  unmann'd, 
Or  make  the  hound,  untaught,  to  draw  the  deere, 
Or  bring  the  free  against  his  will  in  band, 
Or  move  the  sad,  a  pleasant  tale  to  heere, 
Your  time  is  lost,  and  you  no  whit  the  neere ! 
So  love  ne  learnes,  of  force  the  heart  to  knit : 
She  serves  but  those,  that  feel  sweet  fancies'  fit." 

MIRROR  FOR  MAGISTRATES, 

IT  is  not  often  that  hope  is  rewarded  by  fruition,  as  com 
pletely  as  the  wishes  of  the  young  men  of  the  garrison  were 
met  by  the  state  of  the  weather,  on  the  succeeding  day.  It 
may  be  no  more  than  the  ordinary  waywardness  of  man,  but 
the  Americans  are  a  little  accustomed  to  taking  pride  in  things, 
that  the  means  of  intelligent  companions  would  probably  show 
were,  in  reality,  of  a  very  inferior  quality ;  while  they  over 
look,  or  undervalue  advantages  that  place  them  certainly  on 
a  level  with,  if  not  above  most  of  their  fellow-creatures. 
Among  the  latter  is  the  climate,  which,  as  a  whole,  though 
far  from  perfect,  is  infinitely  more  agreeable,  and  quite  as 


THE    PATHFINDER,  18ft 

healthy,  as  those  of  most  of  the  countries  which  are  loudest 
in  their  denunciations  of  it. 

The  heats  of  summer  were  little  felt  at  Oswego,  at  the  pe 
riod  of  which  we  are  writing,  for  the  shade  of  the  forest,  ad 
ded  to  the  refreshing  breezes  from  the  lake,  so  far  reduced 
the  influence  of  the  sun,  as  to  render  the  nights  always  cool, 
and  the  days  seldom  oppressive. 

It  was  now  September,  a  month  in  which  the  strong  gales 
of  the  coast  often  appear  to  force  themselves  across  the  coun 
try  as  far  as  the  great  lakes,  where  the  inland  sailor  some 
times  feels  that  genial  influence  which  characterizes  the  winds 
of  the  ocean  ;  invigorating  his  frame,  cheering  his  spirits,  and 
arousing  his  moral  force.  Such  a  day  was  that  on  which 
the  garrison  of  Oswego  assembled,  to  witness  what  its  com 
mander  had  jocularly  called  a  "  passage  of  arms."  Lundie 
was  a  scholar,  in  military  matters  at  least,  and  it  was  one 
of  his  sources  of  honest  pride  to  direct  the  reading  and  thoughts 
of  the  young  men  under  his  orders,  to  the  more  intellectual 
Darts  of  their  profession.  For  one  in  his  situation,  his  library 
was  both  good  and  extensive,  and  its  books  were  freely  lent 
to  all  who  desired  to  use  them.  Among  other  whims  that  had 
found  their  way  into  the  garrison,  through  these  means,  was 
a  relish  for  the  sort  of  amusement  in  which  it  was  now  about 
to  indulge ;  and  around  which,  some  chronicles  of  the  days 
of  chivalry  had  induced  them  to  throw  a  parade  and  romance, 
that  were  not  unsuited  to  the  characters  and  habits  of  soldiers, 
or  to  the  insulated  arid  wild  post,  occupied  by  this  particular 
garrison.  While  so  earnestly  bent  on  pleasure,  however, 
they  on  whom  that  duty  devolved  did  not  neglect  the  safety 
of  the  garrison.  One  standing  on  the  ramparts  of  the  fort, 
and  gazing  on  the  waste  of  glittering  water  that  bounded  the 
view  all  along  the  northern  horizon,  and  on  the  slumbering 
and  seemingly  boundless  forest,  that  filled  the  other  half  of 
the  panorama,  would  have  fancied  the  spot  the  very  abode  of 
peacefulness  and  security ;  but  Duncan  of  Lundie  too  well 
knew  that  the  woods  might  at  any  moment  give  up  their  hun 
dreds,  bent  on  the  destruction  of  the  fort  and  all  it  contained, 
and  that  even  the  treacherous  lake  offered  a  highway  of  easy 
approach,  by  which  his  more  civilized,  and  scarcely  less  wily 
foes,  the  French,  could  come  upon  him,  at  an  unwelcome 
and  unguarded  moment.  Parties  were  sent  out,  under  old 
14 


156  THE    PATHFINDER. 

and  vigilant  officers,  men  who  cared  little  for  the  sports  of 
the  day,  to  scour  the  forest ;  and  one  entire  company  held  the 
fort,  under  arms,  with  orders  to  maintain  a  vigilance  as  strict 
as  if  an  enemy  of  superior  force  was  known  to  be  near. 
With  these  precautions  the  remainder  of  the  officers  and  men 
abandoned  themselves,  without  apprehension,  to  the  business 
of  the  morning. 

The  spot  selected  for  the  sports,  was  a  sort  of  esplanade, 
a  little  west  of  the  fort,  and  on  the  immediate  bank  of  the 
lake.  It  had  been  cleared  of  its  trees  and  stumps,  that  it 
might  answer  the  purpose  of  a  parade-ground,  as  it  possessed 
the  advantages  of  having  its  rear  protected  by  the  water,  and 
one  of  its  flanks  by  the  works.  Men  drilling  on  it,  could  be 
attacked,  consequently,  on  two  sides  only,  and  as  the  cleared 
space  beyond  it,  in  the  direction  of  the  west  and  south,  was 
large,  any  assailants  would  be  compelled  to  quit  the  cover  of 
the  woods,  before  they  could  make  an  approach  sufficiently 
near  to  render  them  dangerous. 

Although  the  regular  arms  of  the  regiment  were  muskets, 
some  fifty  rifles  were  produced  on  the  present  occasion. 
Every  officer  had  one,  as  a  part  of  his  private  provision  for 
amusement ;  many  belonged  to  the  scouts  and  friendly  Indians, 
of  whom  more  or  less  were  always  hanging  about  the  fort ; 
and  there  was  a  public  provision  of  them,  for  the  use  of  those 
who  followed  the  game  with  the  express  object  of  obtaining 
supplies.  Among  those  who  carried  the  weapon,  were  some 
five  or  six,  who  had  reputations  for  knowing  how  to  use  it 
particularly  well — so  well,  indeed,  as  to  have  given  them  a 
celebrity  on  the  frontier, — twice  that  number  who  were  be 
lieved  to  be  much  better  than  common ;  and  many  who 
would  have  been  thought  expert,  in  almost  any  situation,  but 
the  precise  one  in  which  they  now  happened  to  be  placed. 

The  distance  was  a  hundred  yards,  and  the  weapon  was 
to  be  used  without  a  rest ;  the  target,  a  board,  with  the  cus 
tomary  circular  lines  in  white  paint,  having  the  bull's-eye 
in  the  centre.  The  first  trials  in  skill  commenced  with 
challenges  among  the  more  ignoble  of  the  competitors,  to 
display  their  steadiness  and  dexterity  in  idle  competition.  None 
but  the  common  men  engaged  in  this  strife,  which  had  little 
to  interest  the  spectators,  among  whom  no  officer  had  yet 
appeared. 


THE  PATHFINDER.  159 

Most  of  the  soldiers  were  Scotch,  the  regiment  having  been 
raised  at  Stirling  and  its  vicinity-}  not  many  years  before, 
though,  as  in  the  case  of  Serjeant  Dunham,  many  Americans 
had  joined  it,  since  its  arrival  in  the  colonies.  As  a  matter 
of  course,  the  provincials  were  generally  the  most  expert 
marksmen,  and  after  a  desultory  trial  of  half  an  hour,  it  was 
necessarily  conceded,  that  a  youth,  who  had  been  born  in 
the  colony  of  New  York,  and  who,  coming  of  Dutch  ex 
traction,  bore  the  euphonious  name  of  Van  Valtenburg,  but 
was  familiarly  called  Pollock,  was  the  most  expert  of  all 
who  had  yet  tried  their  skill.  It  was  just  as  this  opinion 
prevailed,  that  the  oldest  captain,  accompanied  by  most  of 
the  gentlemen  and  ladies  of  the  fort,  appeared  on  the  parade. 
A  train  of  some  twenty  females  of  humbler  condition  followed, 
among  whom  was  seen  the  well-turned  form,  intelligent, 
blooming,  animated  countenance,  and  neat,  becoming  attire 
of  Mabel  Dunham. 

Of  females  who  were  officially  recognised  as  belonging  to 
the  class  of  ladies,  there  were  but  three  in  the  fort,  all  of 
whom  were  officers'  wives ;  staid  matronly  women,  with  the 
simplicity  of  the  habits  of  middle  life,  singularly  mixed  in 
their  deportment,  with  their  notions  of  professional  superiority, 
the  rights  and  duties  of  caste,  and  the  etiquette  of  rank.  The 
other  women  were  the  wives  of  non-commissioned  officers 
and  privates ;  Mabel  being  strictly,  as  had  been  stated  by  the 
Quarter-Master,  the  only  real  candidate  for  matrimony  among 
her  sex.  There  were  a  dozen  other  girls,  it  is  true,  but  they 
were  still  classed  among  the  children,  none  of  them  being 
yet  of  an  age  to  elevate  them  into  objects  of  legitimate  ad 
miration. 

Some  little  preparation  had  been  made  for  the  proper  re 
ception  of  the  females,  who  were  placed  on  a  low  staging  of 
planks,  near  the  immediate  bank  of  the  lake.  In  this  vici 
nity  the  prizes  were  suspended  from  a  post.  Great  care  was 
taken  to  reserve  the  front  seat  of  the  stage,  for  the  three 
ladies  and  their  children ;  while  Mabel,  and  those  who  be 
longed  to  the  non-commissioned  officers  of  the  regiment,  oc 
cupied  the  second.  The  wives  and  daughters  of  the  privates 
were  huddled  together  in  the  rear,  some  standing,  and  some 
sitting,  as  they  could  find  room.  Mabel,  who  had  already 
been  admitted  to  the  society  of  the  officers'  wives,  on  the  foot- 


160  THE  PATHFINDER. 

ing  of  an  humble  companion,  was  a  good  deal  noticed  by  the 
ladies  in  front,  who  had  a  proper  appreciation  of  modest  self- 
respect  and  gentle  refinement,  though  they  were  all  fully 
aware  of  the  value  of  rank,  more  particularly  in  a  garrison. 

As  soon  as  this  important  portion  of  the  spectators  had  got 
into  their  places,  Lundie  gave  orders  for  the  trial  of  skill  to 
proceed,  in  the  manner  that  had  been  prescribed  in  his  pre 
vious  orders.  Some  eight  or  ten  of  the  best  marksmen  of 
the  garrison  now  took  possession  of  the  stand,  and  began  to 
fire  in  succession.  Among  them  were  officers  and  men  indis 
criminately  placed,  nor  were  the  casual  visiters  in  the  fort 
excluded  from  the  competition.  As  might  have  been  expected 
of  men,  whose  amusements  and  comfortable  subsistence 
equally  depended  on  skill  in  the  use  of  their  weapons,  it  was 
soon  found  that  they  were  all  sufficiently  expert  to  hit  the 
bull's-eye,  or  the  white  spot  in  the  centre  of  the  target. 
Others,  who  succeeded  them,  it  is  true,  were  less  sure,  their 
bullets  striking  in  the  different  circles  that  surrounded  the 
centre  of  the  target,  without  touching  it. 

According  to  the  rules  of  the  day,  none  could  proceed  to 
the  second  trial  who  had  failed  in  the  first,  and  the  adjutant 
of  the  place,  who  acted  as  master  of  the  ceremonies,  or  mar 
shal  of  the  day,  called  upon  the  successful  adventurers  by 
name,  to  get  ready  for  the  next  effort,  while  he  gave  notice 
that  those  who  failed  to  present  themselves  for  the  shot  at 
the  bull's-eye,  would  necessarily  be  excluded  from  all  the 
higher  trials.  Just  at  this  moment,  Lundie,  the  Quarter-Mas 
ter,  and  Jasper  Eau-douce  appeared  in  the  group  at  the  stand, 
while  the  Pathfinder  walked  leisurely  on  the  ground,  without 
his  beloved  rifle,  for  him  a  measure  so  unusual  as  to  be  under 
stood  by  all  present,  as  a  proof  that  he  did  not  consider  him 
self  a  competitor  for  the  honours  of  the  day.  All  made  way 
for  Major  Duncan,  who,  as  he  approached  the  stand,  in  a 
good-humoured  way  took  his  station,  levelled  his  rifle  care 
lessly,  and  fired.  The  bullet  missed  the  required  mark  by 
several  inches. 

"  Major  Duncan  is  excluded  from  the  other  trials !"  pro 
claimed  the  adjutant,  in  a  voice  so  strong  and  confident,  that 
all  the  elder  officers  and  the  Serjeants  well  understood  that 
this  failure  was  preconcerted,  while  all  the  younger  gentle 
men  and  the  privates  felt  new  encouragement  to  proceed,  on 


THE    PATHFINDER.  161 

account  of  the  evident  impartiality  with  which  the  laws  of 
the  sports  were  administered,  nothing  being  so  attractive  to 
the  unsophisticated  as  the  appearance  of  rigorous  justice,  and 
nothing  so  rare  as  its  actual  administration. 

"  Now,  Master  Eau-douce,  comeg  your  turn,"  said  Muir, 
"  and  if  you  do  not  beat  the  major,  I  shall  say  that  your  hand 
is  better  skilled  with  the  oar,  than  with  the  rifle." 

Jasper's  handsome  face  flushed,  he  stepped  upon  the  stand, 
cast  a  hasty  glance  at  Mabel,  whose  pretty  form  he  ascer 
tained  was  bending  eagerly  forward,  as  if  to  note  the  result, 
dropped  the  barrel  of  his  rifle,  with  but  little  apparent  care, 
into  the  palm  of  his  left  hand,  raised  the  muzzle  for  a  single 
instant,  with  exceeding  steadiness,  and  fired.  The  bullet 
passed  directly  through  the  centre  of  the  bull's-eye,  much  the 
best  shot  of  the  morning,  since  the  others  had  merely  touched 
the  paint. 

"  Well  performed,  Master  Jasper,"  said  Muir,  as  soon  as 
the  result  was  declared  ;  "  and  a  shot  that  might  have  done 
credit  to  an  older  head  and  a  more  experienced  eye.  I  'm 
thinking,  notwithstanding,  there  was  some  of  a  youngster's 
luck  in  it,  for  ye  were  no  partic'lar  in  the  aim  ye  took.  Ye 
may  be  quick,  Eau-douce,  in  the  movement,  but  ye'r  not 
philosophic,  nor  scientific  in  ye'r  management  of  the  weepon. 
Now,  Serjeant  Dunham,  I'll  thank  you  to  request  the  ladies 
to  give  a  closer  attention  than  common,  for  I'm  about  to 
make  that  use  of  the  rifle  which  may  be  called  the  intellectual. 
Jasper  would  have  killed,  I  allow;  but  then  there  would  not 
have  been  half  the  satisfaction  in  receiving  such  a  shot,  as  in 
receiving  one  that  is  discharged  scientifically." 

All  this  time,  the  Quarter-Master  was  preparing  himself 
for  the  scientific  trial ;  but  he  delayed  his  aim  until  he  saw 
that  the  eye  of  Mabel,  in  common  with  those  of  her  compa 
nions,  was  fastened  on  him  in  curiosity.  As  the  others  left 
him  room,  out  of  respect  to  his  rank,  no  one  stood  near  the 
competitor  but  his  commanding  officer,  to  whom  he  now  said, 
in  his  familiar  manner — 

"  Ye  see,  Lundie,  that  something  is  to  be  gained  by  ex 
citing  a  female's  curiosity.      It's  an  active   sentiment,   is 
curiosity,  and  properly  improved  may  lead  to  gentler  innova 
tions  in  the  end." 
14* 


162  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"  Very  true,  Davy  ;  but  ye  keep  us  all  waiting  while  ye 
make  your  preparations;  and  here  is  Pathfinder  drawing 
near  to  catch  a  lesson  from  your  greater  experience." 

"  Well,  Pathfinder,  and  so  you  have  come  to  get  an  idea 
too,  concerning  the  philosophy  of  shooting !  I  do  not  wish  to 
hide  my  light  under  a  bushel,  and  ye'r  welcome  to  all  ye'  H 
learn.  Do  ye  no  mean  to  try  a  shot,  yersel',  man  ?" 

"  Why  should  I,  Quarter-Master — why  should  I  ?  I  want 
none  of  the  prizes;  and  as  for  honour,  I  have  had  enough  of 
that,  if  it 's  any  honour  to  shoot  better  than  yourself.  I  'm 
not  a  woman  to  wear  a  calash." 

"  Very  true ;  but  ye  might  find  a  woman  that  is  precious 
in  your  eyes,  to  wear  it  for  ye,  as — " 

"Come,  Davy,"  interrupted  the  major,  "your  shot,  or  a 
retreat.  The  adjutant  is  getting  to  be  impatient." 

"  The  Quarter-Master's  department,  and  the  adjutant's  de 
partment,  are  seldom  compliable,  Lundie ;  but  I  'm  ready — 
stand  a  little  aside,  Pathfinder,  and  give  the  ladies  an  op 
portunity." 

Lieutenant  Muir  now  took  his  attitude,  with  a  good  deal 
of  studied  elegance,  raised  his  rifle  slowly,  lowered  it,  raised 
it  again,  repeated  the  mano3uvres,  and  fired. 

"  Missed  the  target  altogether  !"  shouted  the  man,  whose 
duty  it  was  to  mark  the  bullets,  and  who  had  little  relish  for 
the  Quarter-Master's  tedious  science.  "  Missed  the  target !" 

"  It  cannot  be !"  cried  Muir,  his  face  flushing  equally  with 
indignation  and  shame ;  "  it  cannot  be,  adjutant ;  for  I  never 
did  so  awkward  a  thing  in  my  life.  I  appeal  to  the  ladies 
for  a  juster  judgment." 

"  The  ladies  shut  their  eyes  when  you  fired,"  exclaimed 
the  regimental  wags. — "  Your  preparations  alarmed  them." 

"  I  will  na  believe  such  a  calumny  of  the  leddies,  nor  sic' 
a  reproach  on  my  own  skill,"  returned  the  Quarter-Master, 
growing  more  and  more  Scotch,  as  he  warmed  with  his  feel 
ings  ;  "  it 's  a  conspiracy  to  rob  a  meritorious  man  of  his 
dues." 

"  It 's  a  dead  miss,  Muir,"  said  the  laughing  Lundie,  "  and 
ye  '11  jist  sit  down  quietly  with  the  disgrace." 

"  No — no — major,"  Pathfinder  at  length  observed,  "  the 
Quarter-Master  is  a  good  shot,  for  a  slow  one,  and  a 
measured  distance ;  though  nothing  extr'ornary,  for  real  ser- 


THE    PATHFINDER.  163 

vice.  He  has  covered  Jasper's  bullet,  as  will  be  seen,  if  any 
one  will  take  the  trouble  to  examine  the  target." 

The  respect  for  Pathfinder's  skill,  and  for  his  quickness 
and  accuracy  of  sight,  was  so  profound  and  general,  that  the 
instant  he  made  this  declaration,  the  spectators  began  to  dis 
trust  their  own  opinions,  and  a  dozen  rushed  to  the  target, 
in  order  to  ascertain  the  fact.  There,  sure  enough,  it  was 
found  that  the  Quarter-Master's  bullet  had  gone  through  the 
hole  made  by  Jasper's,  and  that  too,  so  accurately,  as  to  re 
quire  a  minute  examination  to  be  certain  of  the  circumstance  ; 
which,  however,  was  soon  clearly  established,  by  discovering 
one  bullet  over  the  other,  in  the  stump  against  which  the 
target  was  placed. 

"  I  told  ye,  ladies,  ye  were  about  to  witness  the  influence 
of  science  on  gunnery,"  said  the  Quarter-Master,  advancing 
towards  the  staging  occupied  by  the  females.  "  Major  Dun 
can  derides  the  idea  of  mathematics  entering  into  target  shoot 
ing  ;  but  I  tell  him,  philosophy  colours,  and  enlarges,  and 
improves,  and  dilates,  and  explains,  everything  that  belongs 
to  human  life,  whether  it  be  a  shooting- match,  or  a  sermon. 
In  a  word,  philosophy  is  philosophy,  and  that  is  saying  all 
that  the  subject  requires." 

"  I  trust  you  exclude  love  from  the  catalogue,"  observed 
the  wife  of  a  captain,  who  knew  the  history  of  the  Quarter- 
Master's  marriages,  and  who  had  a  woman's  malice  against 
the  monopolizer  of  her  sex — "it  seems  that  philosophy  has 
little  in  common  with  love." 

"  You  wouldn't  say  that,  madam,  if  your  heart  had  expe 
rienced  many  trials.  It 's  the  man,  or  the  woman  that  has 
had  many  occasions  to  improve  the  affections,  that  can  best 
speak  of  such  matters ;  and,  believe  me,  of  all  love,  philoso 
phical  is  the  most  lasting,  as  it  is  the  most  rational." 

*'  You  would  then  recommend  experience  as  an  improve 
ment  on  the  passion  ?" 

"Your  quick  mind  has  conceived  the  idea  at  a  glance. 
The  happiest  marriages  are  those  in  which  youth,  and  beauty, 
and  confidence  on  one  side,  rely  on  the  sagacity,  moderation 
and  prudence  of  years — middle  age,  I  mean,  madam,  for  I  '11 
no  deny  that  there  is  *such  a  thing  as  a  husband's  being  too 
old  for  a  wife.  Here  is  Serjeant  Dunham's  charming  daugh 
ter,  now,  to  approve  of  such  sentiments,  I  'm  certain, — her 


164  THE   PATHFINDER. 

character  for  discretion  being  already  well  established  in  the 
garrison,  short  as  has  been  her  residence  among  us." 

"  Serjeant  Dunham's  daughter  is  scarcely  a  fitting  interlo 
cutor  in  a  discourse  between  you  and  me,  Lieutenant  Muir," 
rejoined  the  captain's  lady,  with  careful  respect  for  her  own 
dignity, — "  and  yonder  is  the  Pathfinder  about  to  take  his 
chance,  by  way  of  changing  the  subject." 

"  I  protest,  Major  Duncan,  I  protest — "  cried  Muir,  hur 
rying  back  towards  the  stand,  with  both  arms  elevated  by 
way  of  enforcing  his  words — u  I  protest,  in  the  strongest 
terms,  gentlemen,  against  Pathfinder's  being  admitted  into 
these  sports  with  Killdeer,  which  is  a  piece,  to  say  nothing 
of  long  habit,  that  is  altogether  out  of  proportion,  for  a  trial 
of  skill  against  government  rifles." 

"  Killdeer  is  taking  its  rest,  Quarter-Master,"  returned 
Pathfinder,  calmly,  "  and  no  one  here  thinks  of  disturbing  it. 
I  did  not  think,  myself,  of  pulling  a  trigger  to-day,  but  Ser 
jeant  Dunham  has  been  persuading  me  that  1  shall  not  do 
proper  honour  to  his  handsome  daughter,  who  came  in  under 
my  care,  if  I  am  backward  on  such  an  occasion.  I  'm  using 
Jasper's  rifle,  Quarter-Master,  as  you  may  see,  and  that  is 
no  better  than  your  own." 

Lieutenant  Muir  was  now  obliged  to  acquiesce,  and  every 
eye  turned  towards  the  Pathfinder,  as  he  took  the  required  sta 
tion.  The  air  and  attitude  of  this  celebrated  guide  and  hunter, 
were  extremely  fine,  as  he  raised  his  tall  form,  and  levelled 
the  piece,  showing  perfect  self-command,  and  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  power  of  the  human  frame,  as  well  as  of 
the  weapon.  Pathfinder  was  riot  what  is  usually  termed  a 
handsome  man,  though  his  appearance  excited  so  much  con 
fidence,  and  commanded  respect.  Tall,  and  even  muscular, 
his  frame  might  have  been  esteemed  nearly  perfect,  were  it 
not  for  the  total  absence  of  every  thing  like  flesh.  Whip-cord 
was  scarcely  more  rigid  than  his  arms  and  legs,  or,  at  need, 
more  pliable ;  but  the  outlines  of  his  person  were  rather  too 
angular  for  the  proportion  that  the  eye  most  approves.  Still, 
his  motions  being  natural,  were  graceful,  and  being  calm  and 
regulated,  they  gave  him  an  air  of  dignity  that  associated  well 
with  the  idea,  that  was  so  prevalent,  of  his  services  and  pecu 
liar  merits.  His  honest,  open  features  were  burnt  to  a  bright 
red,  that  comported  well  with  the  notion  of  exposure  and  hard- 


THE   PATHFINDER.  165 

ships,  while  his  sinewy  hands  denoted  force,  and  a  species  of 
use  that  was  removed  from  the  stiffening  and  deforming  ef 
fects  of  labour.  Although  no  one  perceived  any  of  those 
gentler,  or  more  insinuating  qualities,  which  are  apt  to  win 
upon  a  woman's  affections,  as  he  raised  his  rifle,  not  a  female 
eye  was  fastened  on.  him,  without  a  silent  approbation  of  the 
freedom  of  his  movements,  and  the  manliness  of  his  air. 
Thought  was  scarcely  quicker  than  his  aim,  and,  as  the 
smoke  floated  above  his  head,  the  breech  of  the  rifle  was 
seen  on  the  ground,  the  hand  of  the  Pathfinder  was  leaning 
on  the  barrel,  and  his  honest  countenance  was  illuminated  by 
his  usual  silent,  hearty  laugh. 

"  If  one  dared  to  hint  at  such  a  thing,"  cried  Major  Duncan, 
"  I  should  say  that  the  Pathfinder  had  also  missed  the  target !" 

"  No — no — major,"  returned  the  guide,  confidently,  "  that 
would  be  a  risky  declaration.  I  did  n't  load  the  piece,  and 
can 't  say  what  was  in  it ;  but  if  it  was  lead,  you  will  find 
the  bullet  driving  down  those  of  the  quarter-master's  and 
Jasper's ;  else  is  not  my  name  Pathfinder." 

A  shout  from  the  target  announced  the  truth  of  this  asser 
tion. 

"  That's  not  all — that's  not  all,  boys,'"7  called  out  the  guide, 
who  was  now  slowly  advancing  towards  the  stage  occupied 
by  the  females — "  if  you  find  the  target  touched  at  all,  I  '11 
own  to  a  miss.  The  Quarter-Master  cut  the  wood,  but  you  '11 
find  no  wood  cut,  by  that  last  messenger." 

"  Very  true,  Pathfinder,  very  true,"  answered  Muir,  who 
was  lingering  near  Mabel,  though  ashamed  to  address  her 
particularly,  in  the  presence  of  the  officers'  wives.  "  The 
Quarter-Master  did  cut  the  "wood,  and  by  that  means  he 
opened  a  passage  for  your  bullet,  which  went  through  the 
hole  he  had  made." 

"  Well,  Quarter-Master,  there  goes  the  nail,  and  we  '11  see 
who  can  drive  it  closest,  you  or  I ;  for,  though  I  did  not 
think  of  showing  what  a  rifle  can  do  to-day,  now  my  hand 
is  in,  I'  11  turn  my  back  to  no  man  that  carries  King  George's 
commission.  Chingachgook  is  outlying,  or  he  might  force 
me  into  some  of  the  niceties  of  the  art ;  but  as  for  you,  Quar 
ter-Master,  if  the  nail  don't  stop  you,  the  potatoe  will." 

"  You  're  over-boastful  this  morning,  Pathfinder ;  but  you  '11 


166  THE   PATHFINDER. 

find  you  've  no  green  boy,  fresh  from  the  settlements  and  the 
towns,  to  deal  with,  I  will  assure  ye !" 

"  I  know  that  well,  Quarter-Master ;  I  know  that  well,  and 
shall  not  deny  your  experience.  You  've  lived  many  years 
on  the  frontiers,  and  I've  heard  of  you,  in  the  colonies,  and 
among  the  Indians,  too,  quite  a  human  life  ago." 

"  Na — na — "  interrupted  MULT,  in  his  broadest  Scotch, 
"  this  is  injustice,  man.  I  Ve  no  lived  so  very  long,  neither." 

"  I  Ml  do  you  justice,  lieutenant,  even  if  you  get  the  best  in 
the  potatoe  trial.  I  say  you've  passed  a  good  human  life,  for 
a  soldier,  in  places  where  the  rifle  is  daily  used,  and  I  know 
you  are  a  creditable  and  ingenious  marksman ;  but  then  you 
are  not  a  true  rifle-shooter.  As  for  boasting,  I  hope  I  'm  not 
a  vain  talker  about  my  own  exploits ;  but  a  man's  gifts  are 
his  gifts,  and  it 's  flying  in  the  face  of  Providence  to  deny 
them.  The  Serjeant's  daughter-,  here,  shall  judge  between 
us,  if  you  have  the  stomach  to  submit  to  so  pretty  a  judge." 

The  Pathfinder  had  named  Mabel  as  the  arbiter,  because 
he  admired  her,  and  because,  in  his  eyes,  rank  had  little  or 
no  value ;  but  Lieutenant  Muir  shrunk  at  such  a  reference  in 
the  presence  of  the  wives  of  the  officers.  He  would  gladly 
keep  himself  constantly  before  the  eyes  and  the  imagination 
of  the  object  of  his  wishes ;  but  he  was  still  too  much  under 
the  influence  of  old  prejudices,  and  perhaps  too  wary,  to  ap 
pear  openly  as  her  suitor,  unless  he  saw  something  very  like 
a  certainty  of  success.  On  the  discretion  of  Major  Duncan 
he  had  a  full  reliance,  and  he  apprehended  no  betrayal  from 
that  quarter;  but  he  was  quite  aware,  should  it  ever  get 
abroad  that  he  had  been  refused  b*y  the  child  of  a  non-com 
missioned  officer,  he  would  find  great  difficulty  in  making 
his  approaches  to  any  other  woman  of  a  condition  to  which 
he  might  reasonably  aspire.  Notwitnstanding  these  doubts 
arid  misgivings,  Mabel  looked  so  prettily,  blushed  so  charm 
ingly,  smiled  so  sweetly,  and  altogether  presented  so  winning 
a  picture  of  youth,  spirit,  modesty  and  beauty,  that  he  found 
it  exceedingly  tempting,  to  be  kept  so  prominently  before  her 
imagination,  and  to  be  able  to  address  her  freely. 

"  You  shall  have  it  your  own  way,  Pathfinder,"  he  an 
swered  as  soon  as  his  doubts  had  settled  down  into  determina 
tion — "  Let  the  Serjeant's  daughter — his  charming  daughter 
I  should  have  termed  her — be  the  umpire  then ;  and  to  he* 


THE    PATHFINDER,  167 

we  will  both  dedicate  the  prize,  that  one  or  the  other  must 
certainly  win.  Pathfinder  must  be  humoured,  ladies,  as  you 
perceive,  else,  no  doubt,  we  should  have  had  the  honour  to 
submit  ourselves  to  one  of  your  charming  society." 

A  call  for  the  competitors,  now  drew  the  Quarter-Master 
and  his  adversary  away ;  and  in  a  few  moments  the  second 
trial  of  skill  commenced.  A  common  wrought  nail  was 
driven  lightly  into  the  target,  its  head  having  been  first  touched 
with  paint,  and  the  marksman  was  required  to  hit  it,  or  he 
lost  his  chances  in  the  succeeding  trials.  No  one  was  per 
mitted  to  enter,  on  this  occasion,  who  had  already  failed  in 
the  essay  against  the  bull's-eye. 

There  might  have  been  half  a  dozen  aspirants  for  the 
honours  of  this  trial ;  one  or  two  who  had  barely  succeeded 
in  touching  the  spot  of  paint,  in  the  previous  strife,  preferring 
to  rest  their  reputations  there ;  feeling  certain  that  they  could 
not  succeed  in  the  greater  effort  that  was  now  exacted  of 
them.  The  three  first  adventurers  failed,  all  coming  quite 
near  the  mark,  but  neither  touching  it.  The  fourth  person 
who  presented  himself  was  the  Quarter-Master,  who,  after 
going  through  his  usual  attitudes,  so  far  succeeded  as  to 
carry  away  a  small  portion  of  the  head  of  the  nail,  planting 
his  bullet  by  the  side  of  its  point.  This  was  not  considered 
an  extraordinary  shot,  though  it  brought  the  adventurer  within 
the  category. 

"  You  've  saved  your  bacon,  Quarter- Master,  as  they  say 
in  the  settlements  of  their  creatur's,"  cried  Pathfinder,  laugh 
ing,  "  but  it  would  take  a  long  time  to  bwild  a  house  with  a 
hammer  no  better  than  yours.  Jasper,  here,  will  show  you 
how  a  nail  is  to  be  started,  or  the  lad  has  lost  some  of  his 
steadiness  of  hand,  and  sartainty  of  eye.  You  would  have 
done  better  yourself,  lieutenant,  had  you  not  been  so  much 
bent  on  soldierizing  your  figure.  Shooting  is  a  natural  gift, 
and  is  to  be  exercised  in  a  natural  way." 

"  We  shall  see,  Pathfinder ;  I  call  that  a  pretty  attempt  at 
a  nail ;  and  I  doubt  if  the  55th  has  another  hammer,  as  you 
call  it,  that  can  do  just  that  same  thing,  over  again." 

"  Jasper  is  not  in  the  55th,  but  there  goes  his  rap !" 

As  the  Pathfinder  spoke,  the  bullet  of  Eau-douce  hit  the 
nail  square,  and  drove  it  into  the  target,  within  an  inch  of 
the  bead. 


108  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  Be  all  ready  to  clench  it,  boys,"  cried  out  Pathfinder, 
stepping  into  his  friend's  tracks,  the  instant  they  were  vacant 
"  Never  mind  a  new  nail ;  I  can  see  that,  though  the  paint 
is  gone,  and  what  I  can  see,  I  can  hit,  at  a  hundred  yards, 
though  it  were  only  a  mosquitoe's  eye.  Be  ready  to  clench !" 

The  rifle  cracked,  the  bullet  sped  its  way,  and  the  head  of 
the  nail  was  buried  in  the  wood,  covered  by  the  piece  of 
flattened  lead. 

"  Well,  Jasper,  lad,"  continued  Pathfinder,  dropping  the 
breech  of  his  rifle  to  the  ground,  and  resuming  the  discourse, 
as  if  he  thought  nothing  of  his  own  exploit,  "  you  improve 
daily.  A  few  more  tramps  on  land,  in  my  company,  and  the 
best  marksman  on  the  frontiers  will  have  occasion  to  look 
keenly,  when  he  takes  his  stand  ag'in  you.  The  Quarter- 
Master  is  respectable,  but  he  will  never  get  any  farther ; 
whereas  you,  Jasper,  have  the  gift,  and  may  one  day  defy 
any  who  pull  trigger." 

"Hoot — hoot!"  exclaimed  Muir,  "do  you  call  hitting  ihe 
head  of  the  nail  respectable  only,  when  it's  the  perfection  of 
the  art !  Any  one,  in  the  least  refined  and  elevated  in  senti 
ment,  knows  that  the  delicate  touches  denote  the  master; 
whereas  your  sledge-hammer  blows  come  from  the  rude  and 
uninstructed.  If  4  a  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile,'  a  hit  ought 
to  be  better,  Pathfinder,  whether  it  wound  or  kill." 

"  The  surest  way  of  settling  this  rivalry,  will  be  to  make 
another  trial,"  observed  Lundie,  "  and  that  will  be  of  the  po- 
tatoe.  You  're  Scotch,  Mr.  Muir,  and  might  fare  better  were 
it  a  cake,  or  a  thistle  ;  but  frontier  law  has  declared  for  the 
American  fruit,  and  the  potatoe  it  shall  be." 

As  Major  Duncan  manifested  some  impatience  of  manner, 
Muir  had  too  much  tact  to  delay  the  sports  any  longer,  with 
his  discursive  remarks,  but  judiciously  prepared  himself  for 
the  next  appeal.  To  say  the  truth,  the  Quarter-Master  had 
little  or  no  faith  in  his  own  success,  in  the  trial  of  skill  that 
was  to  follow,  nor  would  he  have  been  so*  free  in  presenting 
himself  as  a  competitor,  at  all,  had  he  anticipated  it  would 
have  been  made ;  but  Major  Duncan,  who  was  somewhat  of 
a  humourist,  in  his  own  quiet  Scotch  way,  had  secretly 
ordered  it  to  be  introduced,  expressly  to  mortify  him ;  for,  a 
laird  himself,  Lundie  did  not  relish  the  notion  that  one  who 
might  claim  to  be  a  gentleman,  should  bring  discredit  on  his 


THE  PATHFINDER.  169 

caste,  by  forming  an  unequal  alliance.  As  soon  as  every 
thing  was  prepared,  Muir  was  summoned  to  the  stand,  and 
the  potatoe  was  held  in  readiness  to  be  thrown.  As  the  sort 
of  feat  we  are  about  to  offer  to  the  reader,  however,  may  be 
new  to  him,  a  word  in  explanation  will  render  the  matter 
more  clear.  A  potatoe,  of  large  size,  was  selected,  and  given 
to  one,  who  stood  at  the  distance  of  twenty  yards  from  the 
stand.  At  the  word  "  heave,"  which  was  given  by  the 
marksman,  the  vegetable  was  thrown,  with  a  gentle  toss,  into 
the  air,  and  it  was  the  business  of  the  adventurer  to  cause  a 
ball  to  pass  through  it,  before  it  reached  the  ground. 

The  Quarter-Master,  in  a  hundred  experiments,  had  once 
succeeded  in  accomplishing  this  difficult  feat,  but  he  now  es 
sayed  to  perform  it  again,  with  a  sort  of  blind  hope,  that  was 
fated  to  be  disappointed.  The  potatoe  was  thrown  in  the 
usual  manner,  the  rifle  was  discharged,  but  the  flying  target 
was  untouched. 

"  To  the  right-about,  and  fall  out,  Quarter-Master,  "  said 
Lundie,  smiling  at  the  success  of  his  own  artifice — "  the 
honour  of  the  silken  calash  will  lie  between  Jasper  Eau-douce 
and  Pathfinder." 

"And  how  is  the  trial  to  end,  major?"  inquired  the  latter. 
"  Are  we  to  have  the  two  potatoe  trial,  or  is  it  to  be  settled  by 
centre  and  skin  ?" 

"By  centre  and  skin,  if  there  is  any  perceptible  difference ; 
otherwise  the  double  shot  must  follow." 

"This  is  an  awful  moment  to  me,  Pathfinder,"  observed 
Jasper,  as  he  moved .  towards  the  stand,  his  face  actually 
losing  its  colour  in  intensity  of  feeling. 

Pathfinder  gazed  earnestly  at  the  young  man,  and  then 
begging  Major  Duncan  to  have  patience  for  a  moment,  he 
led  his  friend  out  of  the  hearing  of  all  near  him,  before  he 
spoke. 

"You  seem  to  take  this  matter  to  heart,  Jasper?"  the 
hunter  remarked,  keeping  his  eyes  fastened  on  those  of  the 
youth. 

"  I  must  own,  Pathfinder,  that  my  feelings  were  never  be 
fore  so  much  bound  up  in  success." 

"  And  do  you  so  much  crave  to  outdo  me,  an  old  and  tried 
friend  ? — and  that,  as  it  might  be,  in  my  own  way  ?  Shoot 
ing  is  mv  rift  boy,  and  no  common  hand  can  equal  mine  !" 
15 


170  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"1  know  it — i  know  it,  Pathfinder — but — yet — " 

"  But  what,  Jasper,  boy  1 — speak  freely  ;  you  talk  to  a 
friend." 

The  young  man  compressed  his  lips,  dashed  a  hand  across 
his  eye,  and  flushed  and  paled  alternately,  like  a  girl  con 
fessing  her  love.  Then  squeezing  the  other's  hand,  he  said 
calmly,  like  one  whose  manhood  has  overcome  all  other 
sensations — 

"  I  would  lose  an  arm,  Pathfinder,  to  be  able  to  make  an 
offering  of  that  calash  to  Mabel  Dunham." 

The  hunter  dropped  his  eyes  to  the  ground,  and  as  he 
walked  slowly  back  towards  the  stand,  he  seemed  to  ponder 
deeply  on  what  he  had  just  heard. 

"  You  never  could  succeed  in  the  double  trial,  Jasper !"  he 
suddenly  remarked. 

"  Of  that  I  am  certain,  and  it  troubles  me." 

"  What  a  creature  is  mortal  man !  He  pines  for  things 
which  are  not  of  his  gift,  and  treats  the  bounties  of  Provi 
dence  lightly.  No  matter — no  matter.  Take  your  station 
Jasper,  for  the  major  is  waiting — and,  harkee,  lad — I  must 
touch  the  skin,  for  I  could  not  show  my  face  in  the  garrison 
with  less  than  that." 

"  I  suppose  I  must  submit  to  my  fate,"  returned  Jasper, 
flushing  and  losing  his  colour,  as  before ; — "  but  I  will  make 
the  effort,  ifl  die." 

"  What  a  thing  is  mortal  man  !"  repeated  Pathfinder,  fall 
ing  back  to  allow  his  friend  room  to  take  his  aim — "  he  over 
looks  his  own  gifts,  and  craves  those  of  another !" 

The  potatoe  was  thrown,  Jasper  fired,  and  the  shout  that 
followed  preceded  the  announcement  of  the  fact,  that  he  had 
driven  his  bullet  through  its  centre,  or  so  nearly  so,  as  to 
merit  that  award. 

"  Here  is  a  competitor  worthy  of  you,  Pathfinder,"  erica 
Major  Duncan,  with  delight,  as  the  former  took  his  station, 
"  and  we  may  look  to  some  fine  shooting,  in  the  double  trial." 

"  What  a  thing  is  mortal  man  !"  repeated  the  hunter,  scarce 
seeming  to  notice  what  was  passing  around  him,  so  much 
were  his  thoughts  absorbed  in  his  own  reflections — "  Toss." 

The  potatoe  was  tossed,  the  rifle  cracked — it  was  remarked 
just  as  the  little  black  ball  seemed  stationary  in  the  air,  for 
the  marksman  evidently  took  unusual  heed  to  his  aim — and 


THE    PATHFINDER.  171 

then  a  look  of  disappointment  and  wonder  succeeded  among 
those  who  caught  the  falling  target. 

"  Two  notes  in  one  ?"  called  out  the  major. 

"  The  skin — the  skin — "  was  the  answer :  "  only  the 
skin !" 

"  How 's  this,  Pathfinder  !  Is  Jasper  Eau-douce  to  carry 
off  the  honours  of  the  day !" 

"  The  calash  is  his,"  returned  the  other,  shaking  his  head, 
and  walking  quietly  away  from  the  stand.  "  What  a  crea 
ture  is  a  mortal  man !  Never  satisfied  with  his  own  gifts, 
but  for  ever  craving  that  which  Providence  denies !" 

As  Pathfinder  had  not  buried  his  bullet  in  the  potatoe,  but 
had  cut  through  the  skin,  the  prize  was  immediately  adjudged 
to  Jasper.  The  calash  was  in  the  hands  of  the  latter,  when 
the  Quarter-Master  approached,  and  with  a  politic  air  of  cor 
diality,  he  wished  his  successful  rival  joy  of  his  victory. 

"  But  now  you  've  got  the  calash,  lad,  it 's  of  no  use  to 
you,"  he  added ;  "  it  will  never  make  a  sail,  nor  even  an  en 
sign.  I  'm  thinking,  Eau-douce,  you  'd  no  be  sorry  to  see 
its  value  in  good  siller  of  the  king  ?" 

"  Money  cannot  buy  it,  lieutenant,"  returned  Jasper,  whose 
eye  lighted  with  all  the  fire  of  success  and  joy.  "I  would 
rather  have  won  this  calash,  than  have  obtained  fifty  new 
suits  of  sails  for  the  Scud !" 

"  Hoot — hoot — lad  ;  you  are  going  mad  like  all  the  rest  of 
them.  I  'd  even  venture  to  offer  half  a  guinea  for  the  trifle, 
rather  than  it  should  lie  kicking  about  in  the  cabin  of  your 
cutter,  and,  in  the  end,  become  an  ornament  for  the  head  of 
a  squaw." 

Although  Jasper  did  not  know  that  the  wary  Quarter-Mas 
ter  had  not  offered  half  the  actual  cost  of  the  prize,  he  heard 
the  proposition  with  indifference.  Shaking  his  head  in  the 
negative,  he  advanced  towards  the  stage,  where  his  approach 
excited  a  little  commotion,  the  officers'  ladies,  one  and  all, 
having  determined  to  accept  the  present,  should  the  gallantry 
of  the  young  sailor  induce  him  to  offer  it.  But  Jasper's  diffi 
dence,  no  less  than  admiration  for  another,  would  have  pre 
vented  him  from  aspiring  to  the  honour  of  complimenting  any 
whom  he  thought  so  much  his  superiors. 

"  Mabel,"  he  said,  "  this  prize  is  for  you,  unless — " 


172  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  Unless  what,  Jasper?"  answered  the  girl,  losing  her  own 
bashfulness,  in  the  natural  and  generous  wish  to  relieve  his 
embarrassment,  though  both  reddened  in  a  way  to  betray 
strong  feeling. 

"  Unless  you  may  think  too  indifferently  of  it,  because  it 
is  offered  by  one  who  may  have  no  right  to  believe  his  gift 
will  be  accepted." 

"  I  do  accept  it,  Jasper ;  and  it  shall  be  a  sign  of  the  danger 
I  have  passed  in  your  company,  and  of  the  gratitude  I  feel 
for  your  care  of  me — your  care,  and  that  of  the  Pathfinder." 

"  Never  mind  me,  never  mind  me,"  exclaimed  the  latter ; 
"  this  is  Jasper's  luck  and  Jasper's  gift :  give  him  full  credit 
for  both.  My  turn  may  come  another  day ;  mine  and  the 
Quarter-Master's,  who  seems  to  grudge  the  boy  the  calash, 
though  what  lie  can  want  of  it,  I  cannot  understand,  for  he 
has  no  wife." 

"  And  has  Jasper  Eau-douce  a  wife  ?  Or  have  you  a  wife, 
yoursel',  Pathfinder  ?  I  may  want  it  to  help  to  get  a  wife, 
or  as  a  memorial  that  I  have  had  a  wife,  or  as  proof  how 
much  I  admire  the  sex,  or  because  it  is  a  female  garment,  or 
for  some  other  equally  respectable  motive.  It 's  not  the  un 
reflecting  that  are  the  most  prized  by  the  thoughtful,  and 
there  is  no  surer  sign  that  a  man  made  a  good  husband  to 
his  first  consort,  let  me  tell  you  all,  than  to  see  him  speedily 
looking  round  for  a  competent  successor.  The  affections  are 
good  gifts  from  Providence,  and  they  that  have  loved  one 
faithfully,  prove  how  much  of  this  bounty  has  been  lavished 
upon  them,  by  loving  another  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  It  may  be  so — it  may  be  so.  I  am  no  practitioner  in 
such  things,  and  cannot  gainsay  it.  But,  Mabel,  here,  the 
Serjeant's  daughter,  will  give  you  full  credit  for  the  words. 
Come,  Jasper,  although  our  hands  are  out,  let  us  see  what 
the  other  lads  can  do  with  the  rifle." 

Pathfinder  and  his  companions  retired,  for  the  sports  were 
about  to  proceed.  The  ladies,  however,  were  not  so  much 
engrossed  with  rifle-shooting  as  to  neglect  the  calash.  It 
passed  from  hand  to  hand ;  the  silk  was  felt,  the  fashion 
criticised,  and  the  work  examined,  and  divers  opinions  were 
privately  ventured  concerning  the  fitness  of  so  handsome  a 
thing's  passing  into  the  possession  of  a  non-commissioned 
officer's  child. 


THE  PATHFINDER.  173 

*  "  Perhaps  you  will  be  disposed  to  sell  that  calash,  Mabel, 
when  it  has  been  a  short  time  in  your  possession  ?"  inquired 
the  captain's  lady.  "  Wear  it,  I  should  think,  you  never 
can." 

"  I  may  not  wear  it,  madam,"  returned  our  heroine  mo 
destly,  "  but  I  should  not  like  to  part  with  it  either." 

"  I  dare  say  Serjeant  Dunham  keeps  you  above  the  neces 
sity  of  selling  your  clothes,  child ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  it  is 
money  thrown  away  to  keep  an  article  of  dress  you  can  never 
wear." 

"  I  should  be  unwilling  to  part  with  the  gift  of  a  friend." 

"  But  the  young  man  himself,  will  think  all  the  better  of 
you,  for  your  prudence,  after  the  triumph  of  the  day  is  for 
gotten.  It  is  a  pretty  and  a  becoming  calash,  and  ought 
not  to  be  thrown  away." 

"  I  've  no  intention  to  throw  it  away,  ma'am,  and,  if  you 
please,  would  rather  keep  it." 

"  As  you  will,  child  ;  girls  of  your  age  often  overlook 
their  real  advantages.  Remember,  however,  if  you  do  de 
termine  to  dispose  of  the  thing,  that  it  is  bespoke,  and  that  I 
will  not  take  it,  if  you  ever  even  put  it  on  your  own  head.' 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  said  Mabel,  in  the  meekest  voice  imagin 
able,  though  her  eyes  looked  like  diamonds,  and  her  cheeks 
reddened  to  the  tints  of  two  roses,  as  she  placed  the  forbidden 
garment  over  her  well-turned  shoulders,  where  she  kept  it  a 
minute,  as  if  to  try  its  fitness,  and  then  quietly  removed  it, 
again. 

The  remainder  of  the  sports  offered  nothing  of  interest. 
The  shooting  was  reasonably  good,  but  the  trials  were  all  of 
a  scale  lower  than  those  related,  and  the  competitors  were 
soon  left  to  themselves.  The  ladies,  and  most  of  the  officers 
withdrew,  and  the  remainder  of  the  females  soon  followed 
their  example.  Mabel  was  returning  along  the  low  flat  rocks 
that  line  the  shore  of  the  lake,  dangling  her  pretty  calash, 
from  a  prettier  finger,  when  Pathfinder  met  her.  He  carried 
the  rifle  which  he  had  used  that  day,  but  his  manner  had  less 
of  the  frank  ease  of  the  hunter  about  it,  than  usual,  while  his 
eye  seemed  roving  and  uneasy.  After  a  few  unmeaning 
words  concerning  the  noble  sheet  of  water  before  them,  he 
turned  towards  his  companion  with  strong  interest  in  his 
countenance,  and  said, — 
15* 


174  THE  PATHFINDER. 

"  Jasper  earned  that  calash  for  you,  Mabel,  without  much 
trial  of  his  gifts." 

"  It  was  fairly  done,  Pathfinder." 

"  No  doubt — no  doubt.  The  bullet  passed  neatly  through 
the  potatoe,  and  no  man  could  have  done  more;  though 
others  might  have  done  as  much." 

"  But  no  one  did  as  much  !"  exclaimed  Mabel,  with  an  ani 
mation  that  she  instantly  regretted,  for  she  saw  by  the  pained 
look  of  the  guide,  that  he  was  mortified  equally  by  the  re 
mark,  and  by  the  feeling  with  which  it  was  uttered. 

"  It  is  true — it  is  true,  Mabel,  no  one  did  as  much  then, 
but — yet,  there  is  no  reason  I  should  deny  my  gifts  which 
come  from  Providence — yes,  yes ;  no  one  did  as  much  there, 
but  you  shall  know  what  can  be  done  here.  Do  you  ob 
serve  the  gulls  that  are  flying  over  our  heads  ?" 

"  Certainly,  Pathfinder — there  are  too  many  to  escape 
notice." 

"  Here,  where  they  cross  each  other,  in  sailing  about,"  he 
added,  cocking  and  raising  his  rifle — "  the  two — the  two— 
now  look !" 

The  piece  was  presented  quick  as  thought,  as  two  of  the 
birds  came  in  a  line,  though  distant  from  each  other  many 
yards — the  report  followed,  and  the  bullet  passed  through  the 
bodies  of  both  the  victims.  No  sooner  had  the  gulls  fallen 
into  the  lake,  than  Pathfinder  dropped  the  breech  of  the  rifle, 
and  laughed  in  his  own  peculiar  manner,  every  shade  of  dis 
satisfaction  and  mortified  pride  having  left  his  honest  face. 

"  That  is  something,  Mabel,  that  is  something ;  although 
I  've  no  calash  to  give  you  !  But  ask  Jasper,  himself;  I  '11 
leave  it  all  to  Jasper,  for  a  truer  tongue  and  heart,  are  not  in 
America." 

"  Then  it  was  not  Jasper's  fault  that  he  gained  the  prize  !" 

"  Not  it.  He  did  his  best,  and  he  did  well.  For  one  that 
has  water  gifts,  rather  than  land  gifts,  Jasper  is  uncommonly 
expert,  and  a  better  backer  no  one  need  wish,  ashore  or  afloat. 
But  it  was  my  fault,  Mabel,  that  he  got  the  calash ;  though 
it  makes  no  difference — it  makes  no  difference,  for  the  thing 
has  gone  to  the  right  person." 

"I  believe  I  understand  you,  Pathfinder,"  said  Mabel, 
blushing  in  spite  of  herself,  "and  I  look  upon  the  calash  as 
the  joint  gift  of  yourself  and  Jasper." 


THE    PATHFINDER.  175 

"  That  would  not  be  doing  justice  to  the  lad,  neither.  He 
won  the  garment,  and  had  a  right  to  give  it  away.  The 
most  you  may  think,  Mabel,  is  to  believe  that  had  I  won  it, 
it  would  have  gone  to  the  same  person." 

"I  will  remember  that,  Pathfinder,  and  take  care  that 
others  know  your  skill,  as  it  has  been  proved  upon  the  poor 
gulls,  in  my  presence." 

"  Lord  bless  you,  Mabel,  there  is  no  more  need  of  your 
talking  in  favour  of  my  shooting,  on  this  frontier,  than  of 
your  talking  about  the  water  in  the  lake,  or  the  sun  in  the 
heavens.  Every  body  knows  what  I  can  do  in  that  way, 
and  your  words  would  be  thrown  away,  as  much  as  French 
would  be  thrown  away  on  an  American  bear." 

"  Then  you  think  that  Jasper  knew  you  were  giving  him 
this  advantage,  of  which  he  has  so  unhandsomely  availed 
himself?"  said  Mabel,  the  colour  which  had  imparted  so 
much  lustre  to  her  eyes,  gradually  leaving  her  face,  which 
became  grave  and  thoughtful. 

"  t  do  not  say  that,  but  very  far  from  it.  We  all  forget 
things  that  we  have  known,  when  eager  after  our  wishes. 
Jasper  is  satisfied  that  I  can  pass  one  bullet  through  two  po 
tatoes,  as  I  sent  my  bullet  through  the  gulls ;  and  he  knows 
no  other  man  on  the  frontier  can  do  the  same  thing.  But 
with  the  calash  before  his  eyes,  and  the  hope  of  giving  it  to 
you,  the  lad  was  inclined  to  think  better  of  himself,  just  at 
that  moment,  perhaps,  than  he  ought.  No — no — there  's 
nothing  mean  or  distrustful  about  Jasper  Eau-douce,  though 
it  is  a  gift,  natural  to  all  young  men,  to  wish  to  appear  well 
in  the  eyes  of  handsome  young  women." 

"I  '11  try  to  forget  all,  but  the  kindness  you  've  both  shown 
to  a  poor  motherless  girl,"  said  Mabel,  struggling  to  keep 
down  emotions  that  she  scarcely  knew  how  to  account  for, 
herself.  "  Believe  me,  Pathfinder,  I  can  never  forget  all  you 
have  already  done  for  me — you  and  Jasper — and  this  new 
proof  of  your  regard  is  not  thrown  away.  Here — here  is  a 
brooch  that  is  of  silver,  and  I  offer  it  as  a  token  that  I  owe 
you  life  or  liberty." 

"  What  shall  I  do  with  this,  Mabel  ?"  asked  the  bewildered 
hunter,  holding  the  simple  trinket  in  his  hand.  "  I  have  nei- 
fber  buckle  nor  button  about  me,  for  I  wear  nothing  but 


176  THE    PATHFINDER. 

leathern  strings,  and  them  of  good  deer-skins.  It's  pretty  to 
the  eye,  but  it  is  prettier  far  on  the  spot  it  came  from,  than 
it  can  be  about  me." 

"  Nay  put  it  in  your  hunting-shirt ;  it  will  become  it  well. 
Remember,  Pathfinder,  that  it  is  a  token  of  friendship  between 
us,  and  a  sign  that  I  can  never  forget  you  or  your  services." 

Mabel  then  smiled  an  adieu,  and  bounding  up  the  bank, 
she  was  soon  lost  to  view  behind  the  mound  of  the  fort. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

*  Lo !  dusky  masses  steal  hi  dubious  sight, 
Along  the  leagur'd  wall,  and  bristling  bank 
Of  the  arm'd  river;  while  with  straggling  light, 
The  stars  peep  through  the  vapour,  dim  and  dank." 

BYRON, 

A  FEW  hours  later,  Mabel  Dunham  was  on  the  bastion  that 
overlooked  the  river  and  the  lake,  seemingly  in  deep  thought. 
The  evening  was  calm  and  soft,  and  the  question  had  arisen 
whether  the  party  for  the  Thousand  Islands  would  be  able  to 
get  out  that  night,  or  not,  on  account  of  the  total  absence 
of  wind.  The  stores,  arms,  and  ammunition  were  already 
shipped,  and  even  Mabel's  effects  were  on  board;  but  the  small 
draft  of  men  that  was  to  go  was  still  ashore,  there  being  no 
apparent  prospect  of  the  cutter's  getting  under  way.  Jasper 
had  warped  the  Scud  out  of  the  cove,  and  so  far  up  the 
stream  as  to  enable  him  to  pass  through  the  outlet  of  the 
river,  whenever  he  chose ;  but  there  he  still  lay,  riding  at 
single  anchor.  The  drafted  men  were  lounging  about  the 
shore  of  the  cove,  undecided  whether  or  not  to  pull  off. 

The  sports  of  the  morning  had  left  a  quiet  in  the  garrison 
that  was  in  harmony  with  the  whole  of  the  beautiful  scene, 
and  Mabel  felt  its  influence  on  her  feelings,  though  probably 
too  little  accustomed  to  speculate  on  such  sensations,  to  be 
aware  of  the  cause.  Every  thing  near  appeared  lovely  and 
soothing,  while  the  solemn  grandeur  of  the  silent  forest  and 
placid  expanse  of  the  lake,  lent  a  sublimity  that  other  scenes. 


THE   PATHl'INDER.  177 

might  have  wanted.  For  the  first  time,  Mabel  felt  the  hold 
that  the  towns  and  civilization  had  gained  on  her  habits  sen 
sibly  weakened,  and  the  warm-hearted  girl  began  to  think 
that  a  life  passed  amid  objects,  such  as  these  around  her, 
might  be  happy.  How  far  the  experience  of  the  last  ten 
days  came  in  aid  of  the  calm  and  holy  even-tide,  and  con 
tributed  towards  producing  that  young  conviction,  may  be 
suspected,  rather  than  affirmed,  in  this  early  portion  of  our 
legend. 

"  A  charming  sunset,  Mabel,"  said  the  hearty  voice  of  her 
uncle,  so  close  to  the  ear  of  our  heroine  as  to  cause  her  to 
start — "  a  charming  sunset,  girl,  for  a  fresh-water  concern, 
though  we  should  think  but  little  of  it  at  sea." 

"  And  is  not  nature  the  same,  on  shore,  or  at  sea ;  on  a 
lake  like  this,  or  on  the  ocean  ?  Does  not  the  sun  shine  on 
all  alike,  dear  uncle,  and  can  we  not  feel  gratitude  for  the 
blessings  of  Providence,  as  strongly  on  this  remote  frontier,  as 
in  our  own  Manhattan?" 

"The  girl  has  fallen  in  with  some  of  her  mother's  books  ! — 
though  I  should  think  the  serjeant  would  scarcely  make  a 
second  march  with  such  trumpery  among  his  baggage.  Is 
not  nature  the  same,  indeed  ! — Now,  Mabel,  do  you  imagine 
that  the  nature  of  a  soldier  is  the  same  as  that  of  a  sea-faring 
man  1 — You  've  relations  in  both  callings,  and  ought  to  be 
able  to  answer." 

"  But,  uncle,  I  mean  human  nature — " 

"  So  do  I,  girl ;  the  human  nature  of  a  seaman,  and  the 
human  nature  of  one  of  these  fellows  of  the  55th,  not  even 
excepting  your  own  father.  Here  have  they  had  a  shooting- 
match — target-firing  I  should  call  it — this  day,  and  what  a 
different  thing  has  it  been  from  a  target-firing  afloat !  There 
we  should  have  sprung  our  broadside,  sported  with  round 
shot,  at  an  object  half  a  mile  off,  at  the  very  nearest ;  and  the 
potatoes,  if  there  happened  to  be  any  on  board,  as  quite  likely 
would  not  have  been  the  case,  would  have  been  left  in  the 
cook's  coppers.  It  may  be  an  honourable  calling,  that  of  a 
soldier,  Mabel,  but  an  experienced  hand  sees  many  follies 
and  weaknesses  in  one  of  these  forts.  As  for  that  bit  of  a 
lake,  you  know  my  opinion  of  it,  already,  and  I  wish  to  dis 
parage  nothing.  No  real  sea-farer  disparages  anything ;  but 
d e,  if  I  regard  this  here  Ontario,  as  they  call  it,  as  more 


178  THE  PATHFINDER. 

than  so  much  water  in  a  ship's  scuttle-butt.  Now,  look  you 
here,  Mabel,  if  you  wish  to  understand  the  difference  between 
the  ocean  and  a  lake,  I  can  make  you  comprehend  it,  with  a 
single  look :  this  is  what  one  may  call  a  calm,  seeing  that 
there  is  no  wind ;  though,  to  own  the  truth,  I  do  not  think 
the  calms  are  as  calm  as  them  we  get  outside — " 

"  Uncle,  there  is  not  a  breath  of  air !  I  do  not  think  it 
possible  for  the  leaves  to  be  more  immovably  still,  than  those 
of  the  entire  forest  are,  at  this  very  moment." 

"Leaves  I  what  are  leaves,  child?  there  are  no  leaves  at  sea. 
If  you  wish  to  know  whether  it  is  a  dead  calm,  or  not,  try  a 
mould  candle — your  dips  flaring  too  much — and  then  you 
may  be  certain  whether  there  is,  or  is  not,  any  wind.  If 
you  were  in  a  latitude  where  the  air  was  so  still  that  you 
found  a  difficulty  in  stirring  it  to  draw  it  in,  in  breathing, 
you  might  fancy  it  a  calm.  People  are  often  on  a  short 
allowance  of  air,  in  the  calm  latitudes.  Here,  again,  look 
at  that  water ! — It  is  like  milk  in  a  pan,  with  no  more  mo 
tion,  now,  than  there  is  in  a  full  hogshead  before  the  bung  is 
started.  On  the  ocean,  the  water  is  never  still,  let  the  air  be 
as  quiet  as  it  may." 

"  The  water  of  the  ocean  never  still,  uncle  Cap  ! — not  even 
in  a  calm  ?" 

"  Bless  your  heart,  no,  child.  The  ocean  breathes  like  a 
living  being,  and  its  bosom  is  always  heaving,  as  the  poetizers 
call  it,  though  there  be  no  more  air  than  is  to  be  found  in  a 
syphon.  No  man  ever  saw  the  ocean  still,  like  this  lake ; 
but  it  heaves  and  sets,  as  if  it  had  lungs." 

"  And  this  lake  is  not  absolutely  still,  for  you  perceive 
there  is  a  little  ripple  on  the  shore,  and  you  may  even  hear 
the  surf,  plunging,  at  moments,  against  the  rocks." 

"  All  d d  poetry  !  One  may  call  a  bubble  a  ripple,  if 

he  will,  and  washing  decks  a  surf;  but  Lake  Ontario  is  no 
more  the  Atlantic,  than  a  Powles  Hook  periagua  is  a  first- 
rate.  That  Jasper,  notwithstanding,  is  a  fine  lad,  and  wants 
instruction  only  to  make  a  man  of  him !" 

"  Do  you  think  him  ignorant,  uncle,"  answered  Mabel, 
prettily  adjusting  her  hair,  in  order  to  do  which  she  was 
obliged,  or  fancied  she  was  obliged,  to  turn  away  her  face — > 
"  To  me,  Jasper  Eau-douoe  appears  to  know  more  than  most 
of  the  young  men  of  his  class.  He  has  read  but  little,  for 


THE  PATHFINDER.  179 

books  are  not  plenty  in  this  part  of  the  world,  but  he  hag 
thought  much ;  at  least  so  it  seems  to  me,  for  one  so  young." 

"  He  is  ignorant,  he  is  ignorant,  as  all  must  be  who  navi 
gate  an  inland  water,  like  this.  He  can  make  a  flat  knot 
and  a  timber  hitch,  it  is  true ;  but  he  has  no  more  notion  ot 
crowning  a  cable,  now,  or  of  a  carrick  bend,  than  you  have 
of  catting  an  anchor.  No — no — Mabel  ,*  we  both  owe  some 
thing  to  Jasper  and  the  Pathfinder,  and  I  have  been  thinking 
how  I  can  best  serve  them,  for  I  hold  ingratitude  to  be  the 
vice  of  a  hog.  Some  people  say  it  is  the  vice  of  a  king ;  but 
I  say  it  is  the  failing  of  a  hog ;  for  treat  the  animal  to  your 
own  dinner,  and  he  would  eat  you  for  the  dessert." 

"  Very  true,  dear  uncle,  and  we  ought  indeed  to  do  all  we 
can  to  express  our  proper  sense  of  the  services  of  both  these 
brave  men." 

"Spoken  like  your  mother's  daughter,  girl,  and  in  a  way 
to  do  credit  to  the  Cap  family.  Now,  I've  hit  upon  a  traverse 
that  will  just  suit  all  parties,  and  as  soon  as  we  get  back  from 
this  little  expedition  down  the  lake,  among  them  there  thou 
sand  islands,  and  I  am  ready  to  return,  it  is  my  intention  to 
propose  it." 

"  Dearest  uncle !  this  is  so  considerate  in  you,  and  will  be 
so  just !  May  I  ask  what  your  intentions  are  ?" 

"I  see  no  reason  for  keeping  them  a  secret  from  you, 
Mabel,  though  nothing  need  be  said  to  your  father  about  them, 
for  the  serjeant  has  his  prejudices,  and  might  throw  difficulties 
in  the  way.  Neither  Jasper,  nor  his  friend,  Pathfinder,  can 
ever  make  anything  hereabouts,  and  I  propose  to  take  both 
with  me,  down  to  the  coast,  and  get  them  fairly  afloat.  Jas 
per  would  find  his  sea-legs  in  a  fortnight,  and  a  twelvemonth's 
v'y'ge  would  make  him  a  man.  Although  Pathfinder  might 
take  more  time,  or  never  get  to  be  rated  able,  yet  one  could 
make  something  of  him,  too,  particularity  as  a  look-out,  for 
he  has  unusually  good  eyes." 

"  Uncle,  do  you  think  either  would  consent  to  this  ?"  said 
Mabel,  smiling. 

"Do.  I  suppose  them  simpletons?  What  rational  being 
would  neglect  his  own  advancement  ?  Let  Jasper  alone  to 
push  his  way,  and  the  lad  may  yet  die  the  master  of  some 
square-rigged  craft." 

"  And  would  he  be  any  the  happier  for  it,  dear  uncle  1 


180  THE    PATHFINDER. 

How  much  better  is  it  to  be  the  master  of  a  square-rigged 
craft,  than  to  be  master  of  a  round-rigged  craft  ?" 

"  Pooh — pooh,  Magnet,  you  are  just  fit  to  read  lectures 
about  ships  before  some  hysterical  society ;  you  don't  know 
what  you  are  talking  about ;  leave  these  things  to  me,  and 
they  '11  be  properly  managed.  Ah !  here  is  the  Pathfinder 
himself,  and  I  may  just  as  well  drop  him  a  hint  of  my  benevo 
lent  intentions,  as  regards  himself.  Hope  is  a  great  encour* 
ager  of  our  exertions." 

Cap  nodded  his  head,  and  then  ceased  to  speak,  while  the 
hunter  approached,  not  with  his  usual  frank  and  easy  man 
ner,  but  in  a  way  to  show  that  he  was  slightly  embarrassed, 
if  not  distrustful  of  his  reception. 

"  Uncle  and  niece  make  a  family  party,"  said  Pathfinder, 
when  near  the  two,  "  and  a  stranger  may  not  prove  a  wel 
come  companion  ?" 

"  You  are  no  stranger,  Master  Pathfinder,"  returned  Cap, 
"  and  no  one  can  be  more  welcome  than  yourself.  We  were 
talking  of  you,  but  a  moment  ago,  and  when  friends  speak 
of  an  absent  man,  he  can  guess  what  they  have  said." 

"  I  ask  no  secrets — I  ask  no  secrets.  Every  man  has  his 
enemies,  and  I  have  mine,  though  I  count  neither  you, 
Master  Cap,  nor  pretty  Mabel,  here,  among  the  number, 
As  for  the  Mingos,  I  will  say  nothing ;  though  they  have  no 
just  cause  to  hate  me." 

"That  I  '11  answer  for,  Pathfinder,  for  you  strike  my  fancy 
as  being  well  disposed  and  upright.  There  is  a  method,  how 
ever,  of  getting  away  from  the  enmity  of  even  these  Mingos, 
and  if  you  choose  to  take  it,  no  one  will  more  willingly  point 
it  out,  than  myself,  without  a  charge  for  my  advice  either." 

"  I  wish  no  enemies,  Saltwater,"  for  so  the  Pathfinder  had 
begun  to  call  Cap,  having,  insensibly  to  himself,  adopted  the 
term  by  translating  the  name  given  him  by  the  Indians,  in 
and  about  the  fort, — "  I  wish  no  enemies.  I  'm  as  ready  to 
bury  the  hatchet  with  the  Mingos  as  with  the  French,  though 
you  know  that  it  depends  on  one  greater  than  either  of  us, 
so  to  turn  the  heart,  as  to  leave  a  man  without  enemies  " 

"  By  lifting  your  anchor,  and  accompanying  me  down  to 
the  coast,  friend  Pathfinder,  when  we  get  back  from  this 
short  cruise  on  which  we  are  bound,  you  will  find  yourself 


THE   PATHFINDER.  181 

beyond  the  sound  of  the  war-whoop,  and  safe  enough  from 
any  Indian  bullet/' 

"  And  what  should  I  do  on  the  salt-water?  Hrfat  in  your 
towns !  Follow  the  trails  of  people  going  and  coming  from 
market,  and  ambush  dogs  and  poultry  !  You  are  no  friend 
to  my  happiness,  Master  Cap,  if  you  would  lead  me  out 
of  the  shade  of  the  woods,  to  put  me  in  the  sun  of  the 
clearings !" 

"I  did  not  propose  to  leave  you  in  the  settlements,  Path 
finder,  but  to  carry  you  out  to  sea,  where  a  man  can  only 
be  said  to  breathe  freely.  Mabel  will  tell  you  that  such  was 
my  intention,  before  a  word  was  said  on  the  subject." 

"  And  what  does  Mabel  think  would  come  of  such  a 
change  1  She  knows  that  a  man  has  his  gifts,  and  that  it  is 
as  useless  to  pretend  to  others,  as  to  withstand  them  that 
come  from  Providence.  I  am  a  hunter,  and  a  scout,  or  a 
guide,  Saltwater,  and  it  is  not  in  me  to  fly  so  much  in  the 
face  of  heaven,  as  to  try  to  become  any  thing  else.  Am  I 
right,  Mabel,  or  are  you  so  much  a  woman  as  to  wish  to  see 
a  natur'  altered  ?" 

"  I  would  wish  to  see  no  change  in  you,  Pathfinder,"  Mabel 
answered  with  a  cordial  sincerity  and  frankness,  that  went 
directly  to  the  hunter's  heart ;  "  and  much  as  my  uncle  ad 
mires  the  sea,  and  great  as  is  all  the  good  that  he  thinks  may 
come  of  it,  I  could  not  wish  to  see  the  best  and  noblest  hunt 
er  of  the  woods  transformed  into  an  admiral.  Remain  what 
you  are,  my  brave  friend,  and  you  need  fear  nothing,  short 
of  the  anger  of  God." 

Do  you  hear  this,  Saltwater  ? — Do  you  hear  what  the 
Serjeant's  daughter  is  saying,  and  she  is  much  too  upright 
and  fair-minded,  and  pretty,  not  to  think  what  she  says.  So 
long  as  she  is  satisfied  with  me  as  I  am,  I  shall  not  fly  in  the 
face  of  the  gifts  of  Providence,  by  striving  to  become 
anything  else.  I  may  seem  useless,  here,  in  a  garrison,  but 
when  we  get  down  among  the  Thousand  Islands,  there  may 
be  an  opportunity  to  prove  that  a  sure  rifle  is  sometimes  a 
God-send." 

"You  are  then  to  be  of  our  party?"  said  Mabel,  smiling 

so  frankly  and  so  sweetly  on  the  guide,  that  he  would  have 

followed  her  to  the  end  of  the  earth.     "  I  shall  be  the  only 

female  with  the  exception  of  one  soldier's  wife,  and  shall  feel 

16 


162  THE  PATHFINDER. 

none  the  less  secure,  Pathfinder,  because  you  will  be  among 
our  protectors." 

"  The  serjeant  would  do  that,  Mabel,  the  Serjeant  would 
do  that,  though  you  were  not  of  his  kin.  No  one  will  over 
look  you.  I  should  think  your  uncle,  here,  would  like  an 
expedition  of  this  sort,  where  we  shall  go  with  sails,  and  have 
a  look  at  an  inland  sea  ?" 

"  Your  inland  sea  is  no  great  matter,  Master  Pathfinder, 
end  I  expect  nothing  from  it.  I  confess,  however,  I  should 
like  to  know  the  object  of  the  cruise,  for  one  does  not  wish  to 
be  idle,  and  my  brother-in-law,  the  serjeant,  is  as  close- 
mouthed  as  a  freemason.  Do  you  know,  Mabel,  what  all 
this  means  ?" 

"  Not  in  the  least,  uncle.  I  dare  not  ask  my  father  any 
questions  about  his  duty,  for  he  thinks  it  is  not  a  woman's 
business,  and  all  I  can  say  is  that  we  are  to  sail  as  soon  as 
the  wind  will  permit,  and  that  we  are  to  be  absent  a  month." 

"  Perhaps,  Master  Pathfinder  can  give  me  a  useful  hint ; 
for  a  v'y'ge  without  an  object  is  never  pleasant  to  an  old 
sailor." 

"  There  is  no  great  secret,  Saltwater,  concerning  our  port 
and  object,  though  it  is  forbidden  to  talk  much  about  either 
in  the  garrison.  I  am  no  soldier,  however,  and  can  use  my 
tongue  as  I  please,  though  as  little  given  as  another  to  idle 
conversation,  I  hope ;  still,  as  we  sail  so  soon,  and  you  are 
both  to  be  of  the  party,  you  may  as  well  be  told  where  you 
are  to  be  carried.  You  know  that  there  are  such  things  as 
the  Thousand  Islands,  I  suppose,  Master  Cap  ?" 

"  Ay,  what  are  so  called,  hereaway,  though  I  take  it  for 
granted  that  they  are  not  real  islands,  such  as  we  fall  in  with 
on  the  ocean ;  and  that  the  thousand  means  some  such  mat 
ter  as  two  or  three,  like  the  killed  and  wounded  of  a  great 
battle." 

"  My  eyes  are  good,  and  yet  have  I  often  been  foiled  in 
trying  to  count  them  very  islands." 

"  Ay — ay — I  've  known  people  who  could  n't  count  beyond 
a  certain  number.  Your  real  land -birds  never  know  their 
own  roosts,  even  in  a  land-fall  at  sea ;  they  are  what  I  call 
all  things  to  all  men.  How  many  times  have  I  seen  the 
beach,  and  houses  and  churches,  when  the  passengers  have 
not  been  able  to  see  anything  but  water !  I  have  no  idea  that 


THE    PATHFINDER.  183 

ft  man  can  get  fairly  out  of  sight  of  land,  on  fresh-water. 
The  thing  appears  to  me  to  be  irrational  and  impossible." 

"  You  don't  know  the  lakes,  Master  Cap,  or  you  would 
not  say  that.  Before  we  get  to  the  Thousand  Islands,  you 
will  have  other  notions  of  what  natur'  has  done  in  this  wil 
derness." 

"  I  have  my  doubts  whether  you  have  such  a  thing  as  a 
real  island  in  all  this  region.  To  my  notion,  fresh-water 
can't  make  a  bony  fidy  island ;  not  what  I  call  an  island." 

"  We  '11  show  you  hundreds  of  them — not  exactly  a  thou 
sand,  perhaps,  but  so  many  that  eye  cannot  see  them  all,  or 
tongue  count  them." 

"  And  what  sort  of  things  may  they  be  ?" 

"  Land  with  water  entirely  around  them." 

"  Ay,  but  what  sort  of  land,  and  what  sort  of  water?  I  '11 
engage,  when  the  truth  comes  to  be  known,  they  '11  turn  out 
to  be  nothing  but  peninsulas,  or  promontories,  or  continents  ; 
though  these  are  matters,  I  dare  say,  of  which  you  know 
little  or  nothing.  But  islands  or  no  islands,  what  is  the  ob 
ject  of  the  cruise,  Master  Pathfinder?" 

"  Why  as  you  are  the  Serjeant's  brother,  and  pretty  Mabel 
here  is  his  daughter,  and  we  are  all  to  be  of  the  party,  there 
can  be  no  harm  in  giving  you  some  idea  of  what  we  are  go 
ing  to  do.  Being  so  old  a  sailor,  Master  Cap,  you  've  heard, 
no  doubt,  of  such  a  port  as  Frontenac  ?" 

"  Who  has  n't  ?  I  will  not  say  I  've  ever  been  inside  the 
harbour,  but  I've  frequently  been  off  the  place." 

"  Then  you  are  about  to  go  upon  ground  with  which  you  are 
acquainted,  though  how  you  could  ever  have  got  there,  from 
the  ocean,  I  do  not  understand.  These  great  lakes,  you 
must  know,  make  a  chain,  the  water  passing  out  of  one 
into  the  other,  until  it  reaches  Erie,  which  is  a  sheet  off  here 
to  the  westward,  as  large  as  Ontario  itself.  Well,  out  of 
Erie  the  water  comes,  until  it  reaches  a  low  mountain  like 
over  the  edge  of  which  it  passes — " 

"  I  should  like  to  know  how  the  devil  it  can  do  that  ?" 

"Why  easy  enough,  Master  Cap,"  returned  Pathfinder 
laughing,  "  seeing  that  it  has  only  to  fall  down  hill.  Had  I 
said  the  water  went  up  the  mountain,  there  would  have  been 
natur'  ag'in  it ;  but  we  hold  it  no  great  matter  for  water  to 
run  down  hill — that  is,  fresh  water." 


184  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  Ay — ay — but  you  speak  of  the  water  of  a  lake's  coming 
down  the  side  of  a  mountain ;  it 's  in  the  teeth  of  reason,  if 
reason  has  any  teeth." 

"Well — well — we  will  not  dispute  the  point;  but  what 
I  Ve  seen,  I  've  seen :  as  for  reason's  having  any  teeth,  I  '11 
say  nothing ;  but  conscience  has,  and  sharp  ones  too.  After 
getting  into  Ontario,  all  the  water  of  all  the  lakes  passes  down 
into  the  sea,  by  a  river ;  and  in  the  narrow  part  of  the  sheet 
where  it  is  neither  river  nor  lake,  lie  the  islands  spoken  of. 
Now,  Frontenac  is  a  post  of  the  Frenchers  above  these  same 
islands;  and  as  they  hold  the  garrison  below,  their  stores 
and  ammunition  are  sent  up  the  river  to  Frontenac,  to  be  for 
warded  along  the  shores  of  this  and  the  other  lakes,  in  order 
to  enable  the  enemy  to  play  his  deviltries  among  the  savages, 
and  to  take  Christian  scalps." 

"  And  will  our  presence  prevent  these  horrible  acts  ?" 
demanded  Mabel,  with  interest. 

"  Jt  may,  or  it  may  not,  as  Providence  wills.  Lundie,  as 
they  call  him,  he  who  commands  this  garrison,  sent  a  party 
down  to  take  a  station  among  the  islands,  to  cut  off  some  of 
the  French  boats ;  and  this  expedition  of  ours  will  be  the 
second  relief.  As  yet  they  've  not  done  much,  though  two 
batteaux  loaded  with  Indian  goods  have  beei  taken ;  but  a 
runner  came  in,  last  week,  and  brought  such  tidings  that  the 
major  is  about  to  make  a  last  effort  to  circumvent  the  knaves. 
Jasper  knows  the  way,  and  we  shall  be  in  good  hands,  for 
the  serjeant  is  prudent,  and  of  the  first  quality  at  an  ambush- 
ment — yes,  he  is  both  prudent  and  alert." 

"  Is  this  all !"  said  Cap,  contemptuously — "  by  the  pre 
parations  and  equipments,  I  had  thought  there  was  a  forced 
trade  in  the  wind,  and  that  an  honest  penny  might  be  turned, 
by  taking  an  adventure.  I  suppose  there  are  no  shares  in 
your  fresh-water  prize-money  ?" 

"  Anan  ?" 

"  I  take  it  for  granted  the  king  gets  all,  in  these  soldiering 
parties,  and  ambushments,  as  you  call  them  ?" 

"  I  know  nothing  about  that,  Master  Cap.  I  take  my  share 
of  the  lead  and  powder,  if  any  falls  into  our  hands,  and  say 
nothing  to  the  king  about  it.  If  any  one  fares  better,  it  is  not 
I — though  it  is  time  I  did  begin  to  think  of  a  house,  and  fur 
niture,  and  a  home." 


THE   PATHFINDER.  185 

Although  the  Pathfinder  did  not  dare  to  look  at  Mabel, 
while  he  made  this  direct  allusion  to  his  change  of  life,  he 
would  have  given  the  world  to  know  whether  she  were  listen 
ing,  and  what  was  the  expression  of  her  countenance.  Mabel 
little  suspected  the  nature  of  the  allusion,  however ;  and  her 
countenance  was  perfectly  unembarrassed,  as  she  turned  her 
eyes  towards  the  river,  where  the  appearance  of  some  move 
ment  on  board  the  Scud,  began  to  be  visible. 

"  Jasper  is  bringing  the  cutter  out,"  observed  the  guide, 
whose  look  was  drawn  in  the  same  direction,  by  the  fall  oi 
some  heavy  article  on  the  deck.  "  The  lad  sees  the  signs  oi 
wind,  no  doubt,  and  wishes  to  be  ready  for  it." 

"  Ay,  now  we  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  learning  sea 
manship — "  returned  Cap,  with  a  sneer.  '*  There  is  a  nicety 
in  getting  a  craft  under  her  canvas,  that  shows  the  thorough 
bred  mariner  as  much  as  anything  else.  It 's  like  a  soldiei 
buttoning  his  coat,  and  one  can  see  whether  he  begins  at  the 
top,  or  the  bottom." 

"  I  will  not  say  that  Jasper  is  equal  to  your  sea-farers  be 
low,"  observed  Pathfinder,  across  whose  upright  mind  an 
unworthy  feeling  of  envy,  or  of  jealousy,  never  passed;  "  but 
he  is  a  bold  boy,  and  manages  his  cutter  as  skilfully  as  any 
man  can  desire,  on  this  lake  at  least.  You  did  n't  find  him 
backward  at  the  Oswego  Falls,  Master  Cap,  where  fresh 
water  contrives  to  tumble  down  hill,  with  little  difficulty." 

Cap  made  no  other  answer  than  a  dissatisfied  ejaculation, 
aud  then  a  general  silence  followed,  all  on  the  bastion  study 
ing  the  movements  of  the  cutter,  with  the  interest  that  was 
natural  to  their  own  future  connection  with  the  vessel.  It 
was  still  a  dead  calm,  the  surface  of  the  lake  literally  glitter 
ing  with  the  last  rays  of  the  sun.  The  Scud  had  been 
warped  up  to  a  kedge,  that  lay  a  hundred  yards  above  the 
points  of  the  outlet,  where  she  had  room  to  manoeuvre  in  the 
river,  which  then  formed  the  harbour  of  Oswego.  But  the 
total  want  of  air  prevented  any  such  attempt,  and  it  was  soon 
evident  that  the  light  vessel  was  to  be  taken  through  the  pas 
sage,  under  her  sweeps.  Not  a  sail  was  loosened,  but  as 
soon  as  the  kedge  was  tripped,  the  heavy  fall  of  the  sweeps 
was  heard,  when  the  cutter,  with  her  head  up  stream,  began 
to  sheer  towards  the  centre  of  the  current ;  on  reaching 
which,  the  efforts  of  the  men  ceased,  and  she  drifted  towards 
16* 


186  THE  PATHFINDER. 

the  outlet.  In  the  narrow  pass  itself  her  movement  was  ra 
pid,  and  in  less  than  five  minutes,  the  Scud  was  floating  out 
side  of  the  two  low  gravelly  points  that  intercepted  the  waves 
of  the  lake.  No  anchor  was  let  go,  but  the  vessel  continued 
to  set  off  from  the  land,  until  her  dark  hull  was  seen  resting 
on  the  glassy  surface  of  the  lake,  fully  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
beyond  the  low  bluff,  which  formed  the  eastern  extremity  of 
what  might  be  called  the  outer  harbour,  or  roadsted.  Here 
the  influence  of  the  river  current  ceased,  and  she  became 
virtually,  stationary. 

"  She  seems  very  beautiful  to  me,  uncle,"  said  Mabel, 
whose  gaze  had  not  been  averted  from  the  cutter,  for  a  sin 
gle  moment,  while  it  had  thus  been  changing  its  position ; 
"  I  dare  say  you  can  find  faults  in  her  appearance,  and 
in  the  way  she  is  managed ;  but  to  my  ignorance  both  are 
perfect !"  ' 

"  Ay — ay — she  drops  down  with  a  current  well  enough, 
girl,  and  so  would  a  chip.  But  when  you  come  to  niceties, 
an  old  tar,  like  myself,  has  no  need  of  spectacles  to  find 
fault." 

"  Well,  Master  Cap,"  put  in  the  guide,  who  seldom  heard 
any  thing  to  Jasper's  prejudice,  without  manifesting  a  dispo 
sition  to  interfere,  "  I  've  heard  old  and  experienced  salt-water 
mariners  confess,  that  the  Scud  is  as  pretty  a  craft  as  floats. 
I  know  nothing  of  such  matters,  myself,  but  one  may  have 
his  own  notions  about  a  ship,  even  though  they  be  wrong 
notions ;  and  it  would  take  more  than  one  witness  to  per 
suade  me,  Jasper  does  not  keep  his  boat  in  good  order." 

"  I  do  not  say  that  the  cutter  is  downright  lubberly,  Mas 
ter  Pathfinder ;  but  she  has  faults,  and  great  faults." 

"  And  what  are  they,  uncle  1 — if  he  knew  them,  Jasper 
would  be  glad  to  mend  them." 

"  What  are  they  ? — Why  fifty ;  ay,  for  that  matter,  a  hun 
dred.  Very  material  and  manifest  faults." 

"  Do  name  them,  sir,  and  Pathfinder  will  mention  them  to 
his  friend." 

"  Name  them  ?  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  call  off  the  stars, 
for  the  simple  reason  that  they  are  so  numerous.  Name 
them,  indeed ! — Why,  my  pretty  niece,  Miss  Magnet,  what 
do  you  think  of  that  main-boom  now  ?  To  my  ignorant 
eyes,  it  is  topped,  at  least,  a  foot  too  high ;  and  then  th^ 


THE  PATHFINDER.  187 

pennant  is  foul ;  and — and — ay,  d e,  if  there  isn't  a  top- 

sail  gasket  adrift — and,  it  wouldn't  surprise  me  at  all,  if  there 
should  prove  to  be  a  round  turn  in  that  hawser,  if  the  kedge 
were  to  be  let  go,  this  instant !  Faults,  indeed  !  No  seaman 
could  look  at  her  a  moment,  without  seeing  that  she  is  as  full 
of  faults,  as  a  servant  that  has  asked  for  his  discharge." 

"  This  may  be  very  true,  uncle,  though  I  much  question 
if  Jasper  knows  of  them.  I  do  not  think  he  would  suffer 
these  things,  Pathfinder,  if  they  were  once  pointed  out  to  him." 

"  Let  Jasper  manage  his  own  cutter,  Mabel ;  let  him 
manage  his  own  cutter.  His  gift  lies  that-a-way,  and  I  '11 
answer  for  it,  no  one  can  teach  him  how  to  keep  the  Scud 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  Frontenackers,  or  their  devilish  Mingo 
friends.  Who  cares  for  round  turns  in  kedges,  and  for 
hawsers  that  are  topped  too  high,  Master  Cap,  so  long  as  the 
craft  sails  well,  and  keeps  clear  of  the  Frenchers  ?  I  will  trust 
Jasper,  against  all  the  sea-farers  of  the  coast,  up  here  on  the 
lakes — but  I  do  not  say  he  has  any  gift  for  the  ocean,  for 
there  he  has  never  been  tried." 

Cap  smiled  condescendingly,  but  he  did  not  think  it  neces 
sary  to  push  his  criticisms  any  farther,  just  at  that  moment. 
His  air  and  manner  gradually  became  more  supercilious  and 
lofty,  though  he  now  wished  to  seem  indifferent  to  any  discus 
sions  on  points  of  which  one  of  the  parties  was  entirely  igno 
rant.  By  this  time  the  cutter  had  begun  to  drift  at  the 
mercy  of  the  currents  of  the  lake,  her  head  turning  in  all 
directions,  though  slowly  and  not  in  a  way  to  attract  parti 
cular  attention.  Just  at  this  moment  the  jib  was  loosened  and 
hoisted,  and  presently  the  canvass  swelled  towards  the  land, 
though  no  evidences  of  air  were  yet  to  be  seen  on  the  surface 
of  the  water.  Slight,  however,  as  was  the  impulsion,  the 
light  hull  yielded,  and,  in  another  minute,  the  Scud  was  seen 
standing  across  the  current  of  the  river,  with  a  movement  so 
easy  and  moderate  as  to  be  scarcely  perceptible.  When  out 
of  the  stream,  she  struck  an  eddy,  and  shot  up  towards  the 
land,  under  the  eminence  where  the  fort  stood,  when  Jasper 
dropped  his  kedge. 

"  Not  lubberly  done — "  muttered  Cap,  'in  a  sort  of  soli 
loquy,  "  not  over-lubberly,  though  he  should  have  put  his 
helm  a-starboard  instead  of  a-port,  for  a  vessel  ought  always 
to  come-to  with  her  head  off  shore,  whether  she  is  a  league 


188  THE    PATHFINDER. 

from  the  land,  or  only  a  cable's  length,  since  it  has  a  careful 
look ;  and  looks  are  something  in  this  world." 

"  Jasper  is  a  handy  lad,"  suddenly  observed  Serjeant 
Dunham,  at  his  brother-in-law's  elbow ;  "  and  we  place 
great  reliance  on  his  skill  in  our  expeditions.  But  come, 
one  and  all,  we  have  but  half  an  hour  more  of  day-light  to 
embark  in,  and  the  boats  will  be  ready  for  us,  by  the  time 
we  are  ready  for  them." 

On  this  intimation  the  whole  party  separated,  each  to  find 
those  trifles  which  had  not  been  snipped  already.  A  few 
laps  of  the  drum  gave  the  necessary  signal  to  the  soldiers, 
and  in  a  minute  all  were  in  motion. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"  The  goblin  now  the  fool  alarms, 
Hags  meet  to  mumble  o'er  their  charms, 
The  night-mare  rides  the  dreaming  ass, 
And  fairies  trip  it  on  the  grass." 

COTTON. 

THE  embarkation  of  so  small  a  party  was  a  matter  of  no 
great  delay,  or  embarrassment.  The  whole  force  confided 
to  the  care  of  Serjeant  Dunham  consisted  of  but  ten  privates 
and  two  non-commissioned  officers,  though  it  was  soon  posi 
tively  known  that  Mr.  Muir  was  to  accompany  the  expedition. 
The  Quarter-Master,  however,  went  as  a  volunteer,  while 
some  duty  connected  with  his  own  department,  as  had  been 
arranged  between  him  and  his  commander,  was  the  avowed 
object.  To  these  must  be  added  the  Pathfinder  and  Cap, 
with  Jasper  and  his  subordinates,  one  of  whom  was  a  boy. 
The  males  of  the  entire  party,  consequently,  consisted  of  less 
than  twenty  men,  and  a  lad  of  fourteen.  Mabel,  and  the 
wife  of  a  common  soldier,  were  the  only  females. 

Serjeant  Dunham  carried  off  his  command  in  a  large  bat- 
teau,  and  then  returned  for  his  final  orders,  and  to  see  that 
his  brother-in-law  and  daughter  were  properly  attended  to, 
Having  pointed  out  to  Cap  the  boat  that  he  and  Mabel  were 


THE    PATHFINDER.  189 

to  use,  he  ascended  the  hill  to  seek  his  last  interview  with 
Lundie.  The  major  was  on  the  bastion  so  often  mentioned ; 
leaving  him  and  the  serjeant  together,  for  a  short  time,  we 
will  return  to  the  beach. 

It  was  nearly  dark,  when  Mabel  found  herself  in  the  boat 
that  was  to  carry  her  off  to  the  cutter.  So  very  smooth  was 
the  surface  of  the  lake,  that  it  was  not  found  necessary  to 
bring  the  batteaux  into  the  river  to  receive  their  freights,  but 
the  beach  outside  being  totally  without  surf,  and  the  water  as 
tranquil  as  that  of  a  pond,  every  body  embarked  there. 
As  Cap  had  said,  there  was  no  heaving  and  setting,  no  work 
ing  of  vast  lungs,  nor  any  respiration  of  an  ocean ;  for,  on 
Ontario,  unlike  the  Atlantic,  gales  were  not  agitating  the  ele 
ment  at  one  point,  while  calms  prevailed  at  another.  This 
the  distances  did  not  permit,  and  it  is  the  usual  remark  of 
mariners,  that  the  sea  got  up  faster  and  went  down  sooner, 
on  all  the  great  lakes  of  the  west,  than  on  the  different  seas 
of  their  acquaintance.  When  the  boat  left  the  land,  there 
fore,  Mabel  would  not  have  known  that  she  was  afloat  on  so 
broad  a  sheet  of  water,  by  any  movement  that  is  usual  to 
such  circumstances.  The  oars  had  barely  time  to  give  a 
dozen  strokes,  when  the  boat  lay  at  the  cutter's  side. 

Jasper  was  in  readiness  to  receive  his  passengers,  and,  as 
the  deck  of  the  Scud  was  but  two  or  three  feet  above  the 
water,  no  difficulty  was  experienced  in  getting  on  board  her. 
As  soon  as  this  was  effected,  the  young  man  pointed  out  to 
Mabel  and  her  companion,  the  accommodations  prepared  for 
their  reception,  and  they  took  possession  of  them.  The  little 
vessel  contained  four  apartments  below,  all  between  decks 
having  been  expressly  constructed  with  a  view  to  the  trans 
portation  of  officers  and  men,  with  their  wives  and  families. 
First  in  rank,  was  what  was  called  the  after-cabin,  a  small 
apartment  that  contained  four  berths,  and  which  enjoyed  tho 
advantage  of  possessing  small  windows,  for  the  admission  of 
air  and  light.  This  was  uniformly  devoted  to  females,  when 
ever  any  were  on  board ;  and  as  Mabel  and  her  companion 
were  alone,  they  had  ample  space  and  accommodation.  The 
main-cabin  was  larger,  and  lighted  from  above.  It  was 
now  appropriated  to  the  uses  of  the  Quarter- Master,  the  ser 
jeant,  Cap,  and  Jasper ;  the  Pathfinder  roaming  through  any 
part  of  the  cutter  he  pleased,  the  female  apartment  excepted. 


190  THE   PATHFINDER. 

The  corporals  and  common  soldiers  occupied  the  space  be 
neath  the  main  hatch,  which  had  a  deck  for  such  a  purpose ; 
while  the  crew  were  berthed,  as  usual,  in  the  forecastle. 
Although  the  cutter  did  not  measure  quite  fifty  tons,  the  draft 
of  officers  and  men  was  so  light,  that  there  was  ample  room 
for  all  on  board,  there  being  space  enough  to  accommodate 
treble  the  number,  if  necessary. 

As  soon  as  Mabel  had  taken  possession  of  her  own  really 
comfortable  and  pretty  cabin,  in  doing  which  she  could  not 
abstain  from  indulging  in  the  pleasant  reflection  that  some  of 
Jasper's  favour  had  been  especially  manifested  in  her  behalf, 
she  went  on  deck  again.  Here  all  was  momentarily  in 
motion ;  the  men  were  roving  to  and  fro,  in  quest  of  their 
knapsacks  and  other  effects  ;  but  method  and  habit  soon  re 
duced  things  to  order,  when  the  stillness  on  board  became 
even  imposing  for  it  was  connected  with  the  idea  of  future 
adventure,  and  ominous  preparation. 

Darkness  was  now  beginning  to  render  objects  on  shore 
indistinct,  the  whole  of  the  land  forming  one  shapeless  black 
outline,  of  even,  forest,  summits,  that  was  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  impending  heavens  only  by  the  greater  light  of  the 
sky.  The  stars,  however,  soon  began  to  appear  in  the 
latter,  one  after  another,  in  their  usual  mild,  placid  lustre, 
bringing  with  them  that  sense  of  quiet  which  ordinarily  ac 
companies  night.  There  was  something  soothing,  as  well 
as  exciting  in  such  a  scene ;  and  Mabel,  who  was  seated  on 
the  quarter-deck,  sensibly  felt  both  influences.  The  Path 
finder  was  standing  near  her,  leaning,  as  usual,  on  his  long 
rifle,  and  she  fancied  that,  through  the  growing  darkness  of 
the  hour,  she  could  trace  even  stronger  lines  of  thought  than 
usual,  in  his  rugged  countenance. 

"  To  you,  Pathfinder,  expeditions  like  this,  can  be  no  great 
novelty,"  she  said,  "  though  I  am  surprised  to  find  how  silent 
and  thoughtful  the  men  appear  to  be." 

"We  learn  this,  by  making  war  ag'in  Indians.  Your 
militia  are  great  talkers,  and  little  doers,  in  general ;  but  the 
soldier  who  has  often  met  the  Mingos,  learns  to  know  the 
value  of  a  prudent  tongue.  A  silent  army,  in  the  woods,  is 
doubly  strong ;  and  a  noisy  one,  doubly  weak.  If  tongues 
made  soldiers,  the  women  of  a  camp  would  generally  carry 
the  day." 


THE  PATHFINDER.  191 

"  But  we  are  neither  an  army,  nor  in  the  woods.  There 
can  be  no  danger  of  Mingos,  in  the  Scud." 

"  Ask  Jasper,  how  he  got  to  be  master  of  this  cutter,  and 
you  will  find  yourself  answered,  as  to  that  opinion  !  No  one 
is  safe  from  a  Mingo,  who  does  not  understand  his  very  na- 
tur' ;  and,  even  then,  he  must  act  up  to  his  own  knowledge, 
and  that  closely.  Ask  Jasper  how  he  got  command  of  this 
very  cutter !" 

"  And  how  did  he  get  the  command  ?"  inquired  Mabel, 
with  an  earnestness  and  interest  that  delighted  her  simple- 
minded  and  true-hearted  companion,  who  was  never  better 
pleased  than  when  he  had  an  opportunity  of  saying  aught  in 
favour  of  a  friend.  "  It  is  honourable  to  him,  that  he  has 
reached  this  station,  while  yet  so  young." 

"  That  is  it — but  he  deserved  it  all,  and  more.  A  frigate 
would  n't  have  been  too  much  to  pay  for  so  much  spirit  and 
coolness,  had  there  been  such  a  thing  on  Ontario,  as  there  is 
not,  howsever,  or  likely  to  be." 

"  But  Jasper — you  have  not  yet  told  me  how  he  got  the 
command  of  the  schooner  ?" 

"  It  is  a  long  story,  Mabel,  and  one  your  father,  the  ser- 
jeant,  can  tell  much  better  than  I,  for  he  was  present,  while 
I  was  off  on  a  distant  scouting.  Jasper  is  not  good  at  a  story, 
I  will  own  that ;  I  've  heard  him  questioned  about  this  affair, 
and  he  never  made  a  good  tale  of  it,  although  every  body 
knows  it  was  a  good  thing.  No — no — Jasper  is  not  good  at 
a  story,  as  his  best  friends  must  own.  The  Scud  had  near 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  French  and  the  Mingos,  when  Jas 
per  saved  her,  in  a  way,  that  none  but  a  quick-witted  mind 
and  a  bold  heart  would  have  attempted.  The  serjeant  will 
(ell  the  tale  better  than  I  can,  and  I  wish  you  to  question 
him,  some  day,  when  nothing  better  offers.  As  for  Jasper, 
himself,  there  will  be  no  use  in  worrying  the  lad,  since  he 
will  make  a  bungling  matter  of  it,  for  he  don't  know  how  to 
give  a  history  at  all." 

Mabel  determined  to  ask  her  father  to  repeat  the  incidents 
of  the  affair  that  very  night,  for  it  struck  her  young  fancy 
that  nothing  better  could  well  offer  than  to  listen  to  the 
praises  of  one  who  was  a  bad  historian  of  his  own  exploits. 

"  Will  the  Scud  remain  with  us,  when  we  reach  the  island'?' 


192  THE  PATHFINDER. 

she  asked,  after  a  little  hesitation  about  the  propriety  of  the 
question,  "  or  shall  we  be  left  to  ourselves  ?" 

"  That 's  as  may  be.  Jasper  does  not  often  keep  the  cutter 
idle,  when  anything  is  to  be  done,  and  we  may  expect  acti 
vity  on  his  part.  My  gifts,  however,  run  so  little  towards 
the  water,  and  vessels,  generally,  unless  it  be  among  rapidj 
and  falls,  and  in  canoes,  that  I  pretend  to  know  nothing  about 
it.  We  shall  have  all  right,  under  Jasper,  I  make  no  doubt, 
who  can  find  a  trail  on  Ontario,  as  well  as  a  Delaware  can 
find  one,  on  the  land." 

"  And  our  own  Delaware,  Pathfinder — the  Big  Serpent — 
why  is  he  not  with  us,  to-night  ?" 

"  Your  question  would  have  been  more  natural,  had  you 
said,  why  are  you  here,  Pathfinder? — The  Sarpent  is  in  his 
place,  while  I  am  not  in  mine.  He  is  out,  with  two  or  three 
more,  scouting  the  lake  shores,  and  will  join  us  down  among 
the  islands,  with  the  tidings  he  may  gather.  The  serjeant  is 
too  good  a  soldier,  to  forget  his  rear,  while  he  is  facing  the 
enemy  in  front!  It's  a  thousand  pities,  Mabel,  your  father 
was  n't  born  a  general,  as  some  of  the  English  are  who  come 
among  us,  for  I  feel  sartain  he  would  n't  leave  a  Frencher  in 
the  Canadas  a  week,  could  he  have  his  own  way  with  them." 

"  Shall  we  have  enemies  to  face  in  front  ?"  asked  Mabel, 
smiling,  and,  for  the  first  time,  feeling  a  slight  apprehension 
about  the  dangers  of  the  expedition.  "  Are  we  likely  to  have 
an  engagement  ?" 

"  If  we  have,  Mabel,  there  will  be  men  enough  ready  and 
willing  to  stand  between  you  and  harm.  But  you  are  a  sol 
dier's  daughter,  and  we  all  know  have  the  spirit  of  one. 
Don't  let  the  fear  of  a  battle  keep  your  pretty  eyes  from 
sleeping." 

"  I  do  feel  braver,  out  here  in  the  woods,  Pathfinder,  than 
I  ever  felt  before,  amid  the  weaknesses  of  the  towns,  although 
I  have  always  tried  to  remember  what  I  owe  to  my  dear 
father." 

"Ay,  your  mother  was  so  before  you! — 'You  will  find 
Mabel,  like  her  mother,  no  screamer,  or  a  faint-hearted  girl, 
to  trouble  a  man  in  his  need,  but  one  who  would  encourage 
her  mate,  and  help  to  keep  his  heart  up,  when  sorest  pressed 
by  danger' — said  the  serjeant  to  me,  before  1  ever  laid  eyes 
on  that  sweet  countenance  of  yours, — he  did  !" 


THE    PATHFINDER  193 

u  And  why  should  my  father  have  told  you  this,  Path- 
finder  ?"  the  girl  demanded  a  little  earnestly.  "  Perhaps  he 
fancied  you  would  think  the  better  of  me,  if  you  did  not  be 
lieve  me  a  silly  coward,  as  so  many  of  my  sex  love  to  make 
themselves  appear." 

Deception,  unless  it  were  at  the  expense  of  his  enemies  in 
the  field, — nay,  concealment  of  even  a  thought,  was  so  little 
in  accordance  with  the  Pathfinder's  very  nature,  that  he  was 
not  a  little  embarrassed  by  this  simple  question.  To  own 
the  truth  openly,  he  felt,  by  a  sort  of  instinct  for  which  it 
would  have  puzzled  him  to  account,  would  not  be  proper ; 
and  to  hide  it,  agreed  with  neither  his  sense  of  right,  nor  his 
habits.  In  such  a  strait  he  involuntarily  took  refuge  in  a 
middle  course,  not  revealing  that  which  he  fancied  ought  not 
to  be  told,  nor  yet  absolutely  concealing  it. 

"  You  must  know,  Mabel,"  he  said,  "  that  the  serjeant  and 
I  are  old  friends,  and  have  stood  side  by  side — or  if  not  ac 
tually  side  by  side,  I  a  little  in  advance  as  became  a  scout, 
and  your  father,  with  his  own  men,  as  better  suited  a  soldier 
of  the  king — on  many  a  hard  fou't  and  bloody  day.  It 's  the 
way  of  us  skirmishers  to  think  little  of  the  fight,  when  the 
rifle  has  done  cracking ;  and  at  night,  around  our  fires,  or  on 
our  marches,  we  talk  of  the  things  we  love,  just  as  you 
young  women  convarse  about  your  fancies  and  opinions,  when 
you  get  together  to  laugh  over  your  idees.  Now  it  was  natu 
ral  that  the  serjeant,  having  such  a  daughter  as  you,  should 
love  her  better  than  anything  else,  and  that  he  should  talk 
of  her  ofterier  than  of  anything  else, — while  I,  having  neither 
daughter,  nor  sister,  nor  mother,  nor  kith  nor  kin,  nor  any 
thing  but  the  Dela wares  to  love,  I  naturally  chimed  in,  as  it 
were,  and  got  to  love  you,  Mabel,  before  I  ever  saw  you — 
yes  I  did — just  by  talking  about  you  so  much." 

"  And  now  you  have  seen  me,"  returned  the  smiling  girl, 
whose  unmoved  and  natural  manner  proved  how  little  she 
was  thinking  of  anything  more  than  parental  or  fraternal 
regard,  "  you  are  beginning  to  see  the  folly  of  forming  friend 
ships  for  people  before  you  know  anything  about  them,  ex 
cept  by  hearsay." 

"  It  wasn't  friendship — it  isn't  friendship,  Mabel,  that  I  fee* 
for  you.  I  am  the  friend  of  the  Delawares,  and  have  been 
so  from  bovhood ;  but  my  feelings  for  them,  or  tbi  the  best 
17 


194  THE   PATHFINDER. 

of  them,  are  not  the  same  as  those  I  got  from  the  serjeant  foi 
you ;  and,  especially,  now  that  I  begin  to  know  you  better. 
I  'm  sometimes  afear'd  it  isn't  wholesome  for  one  who  is  much 
occupied  in  a  very  manly  calling,  like  that  of  a  guide,  or  a 
scout,  or  a  soldier  even,  to  form  friendships  for  women — 
young  women  in  particular — as  they  seem  to  me  to  lessen 
the  love  of  enterprise,  and  to  turn  the  feelings  away  from 
their  gifts  and  natural  occupations." 

"  You,  surely,  do  not  mean,  Pathfinder,  that  a  friendship 
for  a  girl  like  me,  would  make  you  less  bold,  and  more  un 
willing  to  meet  the  French,  than  you  were  before  ?" 

"  Not  so— not  so.  With  you  in  danger,  for  instance,  I 
fear  I  might  become  fool-hardy ;  but  before  we  became  so 
intimate,  as  I  may  say,  I  loved  to  think  of  my  scoutings,  and 
of  my  marches,  and  out-lyings,  and  fights,  and  other  adven 
tures  ;  but  now  my  mind  cares  less  about  them :  I  think 
more  of  the  barracks  and  of  evenings  passed  in  discourse, 
of  feelings  in  which  there  are  no  wranglings  and  bloodshed, 
and  of  young  women,  and  of  their  laughs,  and  their  cheerful 
soft  voices,  their  pleasant  looks,  and  their  winning  ways  !  I 
sometimes  tell  the  serjeant,  that  he  and  his  daughter  will  be 
the  spoiling  of  one  of  the  best  and  most  experienced  scouts 
on  the  lines  !" 

"  Not  they,  Pathfinder ;  they  will  try  to  make  that  which 
is  already  so  excellent,  perfect.  You  do  not  know  us,  if  you 
think  that  either  wishes  to  see  you,  in  the  least,  changed. 
Remain,  as  at  present,  the  same  honest,  upright,  conscien 
tious,  fearless,  intelligent,  trustworthy  guide,  that  you  are, 
and  neither  my  dear  father,  nor  myself,  can  ever  think  of 
you  differently  from  what  we  now  do." 

Tt  was  too  dark  for  Mabel  to  note  the  workings  of  the  coun 
tenance  of  her  listener,  but  her  own  sweet  face  was  turned 
towards  him,  as  she  spoke  with  an  energy  equal  to  her  frank 
ness,  in  a  way  to  show  how  little  embarrassed  were  her 
thoughts,  and  how  sincere  were  her  words.  Her  countenance 
was  a  little  flushed,  it  is  true,  but  it  was  with  earnestness  and 
truth  of  feeling ;  though  no  nerve  thrilled,  no  limb  trembled, 
no  pulsation  quickened.  In  short,  her  manner  and  appear 
ance  were  those  of  a  sincere-minded  and  frank  girl,  making 
such  a  declaration  of  good-will  and  regard  for  one  of  the 
other  sex,  as  she  felt  that  his  services  and  good  qualities  mer- 


THE    PATHFINDER.  195 

ited,  without  any  of  the  emotion  that  invariably  accompa- 
Dies  the  consciousness  of  an  inclination  which  might  lead  to 
softer  disclosures. 

The  Pathfinder  was  too  unpractised,  however,  to  enter 
into  distinctions  of  this  kind,  and  his  humble  nature  was  en 
couraged  by  the  directness  and  strength  of  the  words  he  had 
just  heard.  Unwilling,  if  not  unable  to  say  any  more,  he 
walked  away,  and  stood  leaning  on  his  rifle,  and  looking  up 
at  the  stars,  for  quite  ten  minutes,  in  profound  silence. 

In  the  meanwhile,  the  interview  on  the  bastion,  to  which 
we  have  already  alluded,  took  place  between  Lundie  and  the 
serjeant.  •  * 

"  Have  the  men's  knapsacks  been  examined  ?"  demanded 
Major  Duncan,  after  he  had  cast  his  eye  at  a  written  report, 
handed  to  him  by  the  serjeant,  but  which  it  was  too  dark  to 
read. 

"  All,  your  honour ;  and  all  are  right." 

"  The  ammunition — arms —  ?" 

"  All  in  order,  Major  Duncan,  and  fit  for  any  service." 

"  You  have  the  men  named  in  my  own  draft,  Dunham  ?" 

"  Without  an  exception,  sir.  Better  men  could  not  be 
found  in  the  regiment." 

"  You  have  need  of  the  best  of  our  men,  serjeant.  This 
experiment  has  now  been  tried  three  times ;  always  under 
one  of  the  ensigns,  who  have  flattered  me  with  success,  but 
have  as  often  failed.  After  so  much  preparation  and  expense, 
I  do  not  like  to  abandon  the  project  entirely  ;  but  this  will  be 
the  last  effort :  and  the  result  will  mainly  depend  on  you  and 
on  the  Pathfinder." 

"  You  may  count  on  us  both,  Major  Duncan.  The  duty  you 
have  given  us  is  not  above  our  habits  and  experience,  and  I 
think  it  will  be  well  done.  I  know  that  the  Pathfinder  will 
not  be  wanting." 

"  On  that,  indeed,  it  will  be  safe  to  rely.  He  is  a  most 
extraordinary  man,  Dunham — one  who  long  puzzled  me; 
but  who,  now  that  I  understand  him,  commands  as  much  of 
my  respect  as  any  general  in  his  Majesty's  service." 

*  I  was  in  hopes,  sir,  that  you  would  corne  to  look  at  the 
proposed  marriage  with  Mabel,  as  a  thing  I  ought  to  wish! 
and  forward." 

"  As  for  that,  serjeant,  time  will  show,"  returned  Lundie> 


196  THE    PATHFINDER. 

smiling ;  though  here,  too,  the  obscurity  concealed  the  nicer 
shades  of  expression, — "  one  woman  is  sometimes  more  dif« 
ficult  to  manage  than  a  whole  regiment  of  men.  By  the 
way,  you  know  that  your  would-be  son-in-law,  the  Quarter. 
Master,  will  be  of  the  party ;  and  I  trust  you  will  at  least 
give  him  an  equal  chance  in  the  trial  for  your  daughter's 
smiles." 

"  If  respect  for  his  rank,  sir,  did  not  cause  me  to  do  this, 
your  honour's  wish  would  be  sufficient." 

*«  I  thank  you,  serjeant.  We  have  served  much  together, 
and  ought  to  value  each  other  in  our  several  stations.  Un 
derstand  me,  however ;  I  ask'no  more  for  Davy  Muir  than  a 
clear  field  and  no  favour.  In  love,  as  in  war,  each  man 
must  gain  his  own  victories.  Are  you  certain  that  the  ra 
tions  have  been  properly  calculated  ?" 

"  I  '11  answer  for  it,  Major  Duncan  ;  but  if  they  were  not, 
we  cannot  suffer  with  two  such  hunters  as  Pathfinder  and  the 
Serpent  in  company." 

"  That  will  never  do,  Dunham,"  interrupted  Lundie, 
sharply;  "  and  it  comes  of  your  American  birth,  and  Ameri 
can  training !  No  thorough  soldier  ever  relies  on  any  thing 
but  his  commissary  for  supplies ;  and  I  beg  no  part  of  my 
regiment  may  be  the  first  to  set  an  example  to  the  contrary." 

"  You  have  only  to  command,  Major  Duncan,  to  be  obeyed  ; 
and  yet,  if  I  might  presume,  sir — " 

"  Speak  freely,  serjeant ;  you  are  talking  with  a  friend." 

"  I  was  merely  about  to  say,  that  I  find  even  the  Scotch 
soldiers  like  venison  and  birds  quite  as  well  as  pork,  when 
they  are  difficult  to  be  had." 

"  That  may  be  very  true ;  but  likes  and  dislikes  have  no 
thing  to  do  with  system.  An  army  can  rely  on  nothing  but 
its  commissaries.  The  irregularity  of  the  provincials  has 
played  the  devil  with  the  King's  service  too  often  to  be  winked 
at  any  longer." 

"  General  Braddock,  your  honour,  might  have  been  advised 
by  Colonel  Washington." 

"  Out  upon  your  Washington  !  You  're  all  provincials  to 
gether,  man,  and  uphold  each  other  as  if  you  were  of  a  sworn 
confederacy." 

"  I  believe  his  Majesty  has  no  more  loyal  subjects  than  the 
Americans,  your  honour." 


THE   PATHFINDER.  197 

"  In  that,  Dunham,  I  'm  thinking  you  're  right ;  and  I  have 
a  little  too  warm,  perhaps.  I  do  not  consider  you  a 
provincial,  however,  serjeant ;  for,  though  born  in  America, 
a  better  soldier  never  shouldered  a  musket." 

"  And  Colonel  Washington,  your  honour —  ?" 

"  Well ;  and  Colonel  Washington  may  be  a  useful  sub 
ject,  too.  He  is  the  American  prodigy ;  and  I  suppose  I  may 
as  well  give  him  all  the  credit  you  ask.  You  have  no  doubt 
of  the  skill  of  this  Jasper  Eau-douce  ?" 

"  The  boy  has  been  tried,  sir  ;  and  found  equal  to  all  thai 
can  be  required  of  him." 

"  He  has  a  French  name,  and  has  passed  much  of  his 
boyhood  in  the  French  colonies  if —  has  he  French  blood  in 
his  veins,  serjeant  ?" 

"  Not  a  drop,  your  honour.  Jasper's  father  was  an  old 
comrade  of  my  own,  and  his  mother  came  of  an  honest  and 
loyal  family,  in  this  very  province." 

"How  came  he  then  so  much  among  the  French,  and 
whence  his  name  ? — He  speaks  the  language  of  the  Canadas, 
too,  I  find !" 

"  That  is  easily  explained,  Major  Duncan.  The  boy  was 
left  under  the  care  of  one  of  our  mariners  in  the  old  war, 
and  he  took  to  the  water,  like  a  duck.  Your  honour  knows 
that  we  have  no  ports  on  Ontario,  that  can  be  named  as  such, 
and  he  naturally  passed  most  of  his  time  on  the  other  side  of 
the  lake,  where  the  French  have  had  a  few  vessels,  these  fifty 
years.  He  learned  to  speak  their  language,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  got  his  name  from  the  Indians  and  Canadians, 
who  are  fond  of  calling  men  by  their  qualities,  as  it  might  be." 

"  A  French  master  is  but  a  poor  instructer  for  a  British 
sailor,  notwithstanding !" 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir ;  Jasper*  Eau-douce  was  brought 
up  under  a  real  English  seaman  ;  one  that  had  sailed  under 
the  king's  pennant,  and  may  be  called  a  thorough-bred :  that 
is  to  say,  a  subject  born  in  the  colonies,  but  none  the  worse 
at  his  trade,  I  hope,  Major  Duncan,  for  that." 

"  Perhaps   not,  serjeant ;    perhaps  not ;    nor   any  better. 
This  Jasper  behaved  well,  too,  when  I  gave  him  the  command 
of  the  Scud ;  no  lad  could  have  conducted  himself  more  lay- 
ally,  or  better." 
17* 


198  THE  PATHFINDER. 

"  Or  more  bravely,  Major  Duncan.  I  am  sorry  to  see, 
sir,  that  you  have  doubts  as  to  the  fidelity  of  Jasper." 

"  It  is  the  duty  of  the  soldier,  who  is  entrusted  with  the 
care  of  a  distant  and  impoitant  post  like  this,  Dunham,  never 
to  relax  in  his  vigilance.  We  have  two  of  the  most  artful 
enemies  that  the  world  has  ever  produced,  in  their  several 
ways,  to  contend  with  —  the  Indians  and  the  French ;  and 
nothing  should  be  overlooked  that  can  lead  to  injury." 

"  I  hope  your  honour  considers  me  fit  to  be  intrusted  with 
any  particular  reason  that  may  exist  for  doubting  Jasper, 
since  you  have  seen  fit  to  intrust  me  with  this  command." 

"  It  is  not  that  I  doubt  you,  Dunham,  that  I  hesitate  to  re 
veal  all  I  may  happen  to  .know,  but  from  a  strong  reluctance 
to  circulate  an  evil  repo'rt  concerning  one  of  whom  I  have 
hitherto  thought  well.  You  must  think  well  of  the  Pathfinder, 
or  you  would  not  wish  to  give  him  your  daughter  ?" 

"  For  the  Pathfinder's  honesty,  I  will  answer  with  my  life, 
sir" — returned  the  Serjeant  firmly,  and  not  without  a  dignity 
of  manner  that  struck  his  superior.  "  Such  a  man  does  n't 
know  how  to  be  false." 

"  I  believe  you  are  right,  Dunham,  and  yet  this  last  infor- 
jnation  has  unsettled  all  my  old  opinions.  I  have  received 
an  anonymous  communication,  serjeant,  advising  me  to  be 
on  my  guard  against  Jasper  Western,  or  Jasper  Eau«douce, 
as  he  is  called  ;  who,  it  alleges,  has  been  bought  by  the  enemy, 
and  giving  me  reason  to  expect  that  further  and  more  precise 
information  will  soon  be  sent." 

"  Letters  without  signatures  to  them,  sir,  are  scarcely  to 
be  regarded  in  war." 

"  Or  in  peace,  Dunham.  No  one  can  entertain  a  lower 
opinion  of  the  writer  of  an  anonymous  letter,  in  ordinary 
matters,  than  myself.  «  The  very  act  denotes  cowardice, 
meanness,  and  baseness ;  and  it  usually  is  a  token  of  false 
hood,  as  well  as  of  other  vices.  But,  in  matters  of  war,  it 
is  not  exactly  the  same  thing.  Besides,  several  suspicious 
circumstances  have  been  pointed  out  to  me — " 

"  Such  as  is  fit  for  an  orderly  to  hear,  your  honour?" 

"  Certainly,  one  in  whom  I  confide  as  much  as  in  yourself, 
Dunham.  It  is  said,  for  instance,  that  your  daughter  and 
her  party  were  permitted  to  escape  the  Iroquois,  when  they 
camo  in,  merely  to  give  Jasper  credit  with  me.  I  am  told 


THE    PATHFINDER.  199 

that  the  gentry  at  Frontenac  will  care  more  for  the  capture 
of  the  Scud,  with  Serjeant  Dunham  and  a  party  of  men,  to 
gether  with  the  defeat  of  our  favourite  plan,  thin  for  the  cap 
ture  of  a  girl,  and  the  scalp  of  her  uncle." 

u  1  understand  the  hint,  sir,  but  I  do  not  give  it  credit. 
Jasper  can  hardly  be  true,  and  Pathfinder  false ;  and,  as  for 
the  last,  I  would  as  soon  distrust  your  honour,  as  distrust 
him !" 

•'It  would  seem  so,  serjeantj  it  would  indeed  seem  so. 
But  Jasper  is  not  the  Pathfinder  after  all,  and  I  will  own, 
Dunham,  I  should  put  more  faith  in  the  lad,  if  he  didn't  speak 
French  !" 

'*  It  *s  no  recommendation  in  my  eyes,  I  assure  your  ho 
nour  ;  but  tne  boy  learned  it  by  compulsion,  as  it  were,  and 
ought  not  to  be  condemned  too  hastily,  for  the  circumstance, 
by  your  honour's  leave.  If  he  does  speak  French,  it 's  be 
cause  he  can't  well  help  it." 

"  It 's  a  d d  lingo,  and  never  did  any  one  good — at  least 

no  British  subject;  for  I  suppose  the  French  themselves  must 
talk  together,  in  some  language  or  other.  I  should  have 
much  more  faith  in  this  Jasper,  did  he  know  nothing  of  their 
language.  This  letter  has  made  me  uneasy ;  and,  were  there 
another  to  whom  I  could  trust  the  cutter,  I  would  devise 
some  means  to  detain  him  here.  I  have  spoken  to  you  al 
ready  of  a  brother-in-law  who  goes  with  you,  serjeant,  and 
who  is  a  sailor?" 

"  A  real  sea-faring  man,  your  honour,  and  somewhat  pre 
judiced  against  fresh- water.  I  doubt  if  he  could  be  induced 
to  risk  his  character  on  a  lake,  and  I  'm  certain  he  never 
could  find  the  station." 

"  The  last  is  probably  true,  and,  then,  the  man  cannot 
know  enough  of  this  treacherous  lake  to  be  fit  for  the  em 
ployment  !  You  will  have  to  be  doubly  vigilant,  Dunham. 
I  give  you  full  powers,  and  should  you  detect  this  Jasper  in 
any  treachery,  make  him  a  sacrifice  at  once  to  offended  jus- 
tice." 

"  Being  in  the  service  of  the  crown,  your  honour,  he  is 
amenable  to  martial  law — " 

"  Very  true — then  iron  him,  from  his  head  to  his  heels, 
and  send  him  up  here,  in  his  own  cutter.  That  brother-in- 
law  of  yours  must  be  able  to  find  the  way  back,  after  he  has 
oace  travelled  the  road." 


200  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"  I  make  no  doubt,  Major  Dunham,  we  shall  be  able  to 
do  all  that  will  be  necessary,  should  Jasper  turn  out  as  yon 
seem  to  anticipate ;  though,  I  think  I  would  risk  my  life  on 
his  truth." 

"  I  like  your  confidence :  it  speaks  well  for  the  fellow — but 
that  infernal  letter  J — There  is  such  an  air  of  truth  about  it — 
nay,  there  is  so  much  truth  in  it,  touching  other  matters — " 

"  I  think  your  honour  said  it  wanted  the  name  at  the  bot 
tom  ;  a  great  omission  for  an  honest  man  to  make." 

"  Quite  right,  Dunham,  and  no  one  but  a  rascal,  and  a 
cowardly  rascal  in  the  bargain,  would  write  an  anonymous 
letter,  on  private  affairs.  It  is  different,  however,  in  war. 
Despatches  are  feigned,  and  artifice  is  generally  allowed  to 
be  justifiable." 

"  Military,  manly  artifices,  sir,  if  you  will ;  such  as  am 
bushes,  surprises,  feints,  false  attacks,  and  even  spies ;  but  I 
never  heard  of  a  true  soldier  who  could  wish  to  undermine 
the  character  of  an  honest  young  man,  by  such  means  as 
these !» 

"  I  have  met  with  many  strange  events,  and  some  stranger 
people,  in  the  course  of  my  experience.  But  fare-you-welt, 
serjeant ;  I  must  detain  you  no  longer.  You  are  now  on 
your  guard,  and  I  recommend  to  you  untiring  vigilance.  I 
think  Muir  means  shortly  To  retire,  and  should  you  fully  suc 
ceed  in  this  enterprise,  my  influence  will  not  be  wanting,  in 
endeavouring  to  put  you  in  the  vacancy,  to  which  you  have 
many  claims !" 

" 1  humbly  thank  your  honour,"  coolly  returned  the  ser 
jeant,  who  had  been  encouraged  in  this  manner,  any  time 
for  the  twenty  preceding  years,  "  and  hope  I  shall  never  dis 
grace  my  station,  whatever  it  may  be. — I  am  what  nature 
and  Providence  have  made  me,  and  hope  I  'm  satisfied." 

"You  have  not  forgotten  the  howitzer?" 

"  Jasper  took  it  on  board  this  morning,  sir." 

"  Be  wary,  and  do  not  trust  that  man  unnecessarily.  Make 
a  confidant  of  Pathfinder  at  once ;  he  may  be  of  service  in 
detecting  any  villany  that  may  be  stirring.  His  simple  ho 
nesty  will  favour  his  observation,  by  concealing  it.  He  must 
be  true." 

"  For  him,  sir,  my  own  head  shall  answer,  or  even  my 
rank  in  the  regiment.  I  .iave  seen  him  too  often  tried  to 
rfowfchim." 


THE   PATHFINDER.  201 

11  Of  all  wretched  sensations,  Dunham,  distrust,  where  one 
is  compelled  to  confide,  is  the  most  painful. — You  have  be 
thought  you  of  the  spare  flints  ?" 

"  A  serjeant  is  a  safe  commander  for  all  such  details,  your 
honour." 

"  Well,  then,  give  me  your  hand,  Dunham.  God  bless 
you,  and  may  you  be  successful.  Muir  means  to  retire — by 
the  way,  let  the  man  have  an  equal  chance  with  your  daugh 
ter,  for  it  may  facilitate  future  operations  about  the  promotion. 
One  would  retire  more  cheerfully,  with  such  a  companion  as 
Mabel,  than  in  cheerless  widowerhood,  and  with  nothing  but 
oneself  to  love, — and  such  a  self,  too,  as  Davy's !" 

"  I  hope,  sir,  my  child  will  make  a  prudent  choice,  and  I 
think  her  mind  is  already  pretty  much  made  up  in  favour  of 
Pathfinder.  Still  she  shall  have  fair  play,  though  disobe 
dience  is  the  next  crime  to  mutiny." 

"  Have  all  the  ammunition  carefully  examined  and  dried,  as 
soon  as  you  arrive ;  the  damp  of  the  lake  may  affect  it ;  and 
now,  once  more,  farewell,  serjeant.  Beware  of  that  Jasper, 
and  consult  with  Muir,  in  any  difficulty.  I  shall  expect  you 
to  return  triumphant,  this  day  month." 

"  God  bless  your  honour :  if  any  thing  should  happen  to 
me,  I  trust  to  you,  Major  Duncan,  to  care  for  an  old  soldier's 
character." 

"  Rely  on  me,  Dunham — you  will  rely  on  a  friend.  Be 
vigilant :  remember  you  will  be  in  the  very  jaws  of  the  lion  , 
— pshaw,  of  no  lion,  neither ;  but  of  treacherous  tigers : — in 
their  very  jaws,  and  beyond  support.  Have  the  flints  count 
ed  and  examined  in  the  morning, — and — farewell,  Dunham, 
farewell." 

The  serjeant  took  the  extended  hand  of  his  superior  with 
proper  respect,  and  they  finally  parted;  Lundie  hastening 
into  his  own  moveable  abode,  while  the  other  left  the  fort,  de 
scended  to  the  beach,  and  got  into  a  boat. 

Duncan  of  Lundie  had  said  no  more  than  4he  truth,  when 
he  spoke  of  the  painful  nature  of  distrust.  Of  all  the  feelings 
of  the  human  mind,  it  is  that  which  is  the  most  treacherous 
in  its  workings,  the  most  insidious  in  its  approaches,  and  the 
least  at  the  command  of  a  generous  temperament.  While  doubt 
exists,  everything  may  be  suspected ;  the  thoughts,  having 
no  definite  facts  to  set  bounds  to  their  wanderings ;  and  dis- 


202  THE    PATHFINDER. 

trust  once  admitted,  it  is  impossible  to  say  Jo  what  extenl 
conjecture  may  lead,  or  whither  credulity  may  follow.  That 
which  had  previously  seemed  innocent,  assumes  the  hue  of 
guilt,  as  soon  as  this  uneasy  tenant  has  taken  possession  of 
the  thoughts  ;  and  nothing  is  said  or  done,  without  being  sub 
jected  to  the  colourings  and  disfigurations  of  jealousy  and 
apprehension.  If  this  is  true  in  ordinary  affairs,  it  is  doubly 
true  when  any  heavy  responsibility,  involving  life  or  death, 
weighs  on  the  unsettled  mind  of  its  subject ; — as  in  the  case 
of  the  military  commander,  or  the  agent  in  the  management 
of  any  great  political  interest.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed,  then, 
that  Serjeant  Dunham,  after  he  had  parted  from  his  com 
manding  officer,  was  likely  to  forget  the  injunctions  he  had 
received.  He  thought  highly  of  Jasper,  in  general ;  but  dis 
trust  had  been  insinuated  between  his  former  confidence  and 
the  obligations  of  duty^  and,  as  he  now  felt  that  everything 
depended  on  his  own  vigilance,  by  the  time  the  boat  reached 
the  side  of  the  Scud,  he  was  in  a  proper  humour  to  let  no 
suspicious  circumstance  go  unheeded,  or  any  unusual  move 
ment  in  the  young  sailor  pass  without  its  comment.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  he  viewed  things  in  the  light  suited  to  his 
peculiar  mood ;  and  his  precautions,  as  well  as  his  distrust, 
partook  of  the  habits,  opinions,  and  education  of  the  man. 

The  Scud's  kedge  was  lifted,  as  soon  as  the  boat  with  the 
serjeant,  who  was  the  last  person  expected,  was  seen  to  quit 
the  shore,  and  the  head  of  the  cutter  was  cast  to  the  east 
ward  by  means  of  the  sweeps.  A  few  vigorous  strokes  of 
the  latter,  in  which  the  soldiers  aided,  now  sent  the  light  craft 
into  the  line  of  the  current  that  flowed  from  the  river,  when 
she  was  suffered  to  drift  into  the  offing  again.  As  yet,  there 
was  no  wind,  the  light  and  almost  imperceptible  air  from  the 
lake,  that  had  existed  previously  to  the  setting  of  the  sun, 
having  entirely  failed. 

All  this  time,  an  unusual  quiet  prevailed  in  the  cutter.  It 
appeared  as  if  those  on  board  of  her  felt  that  they  were  enter- 
ing  upon  an  uncertain  enterprise,  in  the  obscurity  of  night, 
and  that  their  duty,  the  hour,  and  the  manner  of  their  depar 
ture  lent  a  solemnity  to  their  movements.  Discipline  also 
came  in  aid  of  these  feelings.  Most  were  silent,  and  those 
who  did  speak,  spoke  seldom  and  in  low  voices.  In  this 
manner,  the  cutter  set  slowly  out  into  the  lake,  until  she  had 


THE    PATHFINDER.  203 

got  as  lar  as  the  river-current  would  carry  her,  when  she 
became  stationary,  waiting  for  the  usual  land-breeze.  An 
interval  of  half  an  hour  followed,  during  the  whole  of  which 
time,  the  Scud  lay  as  motionless  as  a  log,  floating  on  the 
water.  While  the  little  changes  just  mentioned  were  occur 
ring  in  the  situation  of  the  vessel,  notwithstanding  the  general 
quiet  that  prevailed,  all  conversation  had  not  been  repressed , 
for  Serjeant  Dunham,  having  first  ascertained  that  both  his 
daughter  and  her  female  companion  were  on  the  quarter-deck, 
led  the  Pathfinder  to  the  after-cabin,  where,  closing  the  door 
with  great  caution,  and  otherwise  making  certain  he  was  be- 
N.vond  the  reach  of  eaves-droppers,  he  commenced  as  follows : 
N"It  is  now  many  years,  my  friend,  since  you  began  to 
experience  the  hardships  and  dangers  of  the  woods  in  my 
company." 

"  It  is,  serjeant ;  yes  it  is.  I  sometimes  (ear  I  am  too  old 
for  Mabel,  who  was  not  born  until  you  and  I  had  fought  the 
Frenchers  as  comrades." 

"  No  fear  on  that  account,  Pathfinder.  I  was  near  your 
age  before  I  prevailed  on  the  mind  of  her  mother ;  and  Mabel 
is  a  steady,  thoughtful  girl  ,•  one  that  will  regard  character, 
more  than  any  thing  else.  A  lad  like  Jasper  Eau-douce,  for 
instance,  will  have  no  chance  with  her,  though  he  is  both 
young  and  comely." 

"  Does  Jasper  think  of  marrying  ?"  inquired  the  guide, 
simply,  but  earnestly. 

"  I  should  hope  not — at  least,  not  until  he  has  satisfied 
every  one  of  his  fitness  to  possess  a  wife." 

"  Jasper  is  a  gallant  boy,  and  one  of  great  gifts  in  his  way ; 
he  may  claim  a  wife,  as  well  as  another." 

"  To  be  frank  with  you,  Pathfinder,  I  brought  you  here  to 
talk  about  this  very  youngster.  Major  Duncan  has  received 
some  information  which  has  led  him  to  suspect  that  Eau-douce 
is  false,  and  in  the  pay  of  the  enemy ;  I  wish  to  hear  your 
opinion  on  the  subject." 

"  Anan !" 

"  I  say  the  major  suspects  Jasper  of  being  a  traitor — a 
French  spy — or  what  is  worse,  of  being  bought  to  betray  us. 
He  has  received  a  letter  to  this  effect,  and  has  been  charging 
me  to  keep  ai  eye  on  the  boy's  movements,  for  he  fears  we 


204  THE    PATHFINDER. 

shall  meet  with  enemies  when  we  least  suspect  it,  and  by  hfo 
means." 

"  Duncan  of  Lundie  has  told  you  this,  Serjeant  Dunham  T 

"He  has,  indeed,  Pathfinder;  and  though  I  have  been 
loath  to  believe  anything  to  the  injury  of  Jasper,  I  have  o 
feeling,  which  tells  me  I  ought  to  distrust  him.  Do  you  be 
lieve  in  presentiments,  my  friend?" 

"  In  wfcat,  serjeant  I" 

"  Presentiments — a  sort  of  secret  foreknowledge  of  events 
that  are  about  to  happen.  The  Scotch  of  our  regiment  are 
great  sticklers  for  such  things ;  and  my  opinion  of  Jasper  is 
changing  so  fast,  that  I  begin  to  fear  there  must  be  some 
truth  in  their  doctrines." 

"  But  you  Ve  been  talking  with  Duncan  of  Lundie,  con 
cerning  Jasper,  and  his  words  have  raised  misgivings." 

"  Not  it — not  so,  in  the  least.  For,  while  conversing  with 
the  major,  my  feelings  were  altogether  the  other  way ;  and  I 
endeavoured  to  convince  him,  all  I  could,  that  he  did  the  boy 
injustice.  But  there  is  no  use  in  holding  out  against  a  pre 
sentiment,  I  find,  and  I  fear  there  is  something  in  the  suspi 
cion  after  all." 

"  I  know  nothing  of  presentiments,  serjeant,  but  I  have 
known  Jasper  Eau-douce  since  he  was  a  boy,  and  I  have  as 
much  faith  in  his  honesty,  as  I  have  in  my  own,  or  that  of 
the  Sarpent,  himself." 

"  But  the  Serpent,  Pathfinder,  has  his  tricks  and  ambushes 
in  war,  as  well  as  another !" 

"  Ay,  them  are  his  nat'ral  gifts,  and  are  such  as  belong  to 
his  people.  Neither  red-skin  nor  pale-face  can  deny  natur' ; 
but  Chingachgook  is  not  a  man  to  feel  a  presentiment  against." 

"  That  I  believe,  nor  should  I  have  thought  ill  of  Jasper, 
this  very  morning.  It  seems  to  me,  Pathfinder,  since  I  've 
taken  up  this  presentiment,  that  the  lad  does  not  bustle  about 
his  deck,  naturally,  as  he  used  to  do ;  but  that  he  is  silent,  and 
moody,  and  thoughtful,  like  a  man  who  has  a  load  on  his 
conscience." 

"  Jasper  is  never  noisy,  and  he  tells  me  noisy  ships  are 
generally  ill-worked  ships.  Master  Cap  agrees  in  this  too. 
No — no— I  will  believe  naught  against  Jasper,  until  I  see  it. 
Send  for  your  brother,  serjeant,  and  let  us  question  him  in 
this  matter ;  for  to  sleep  with  distrust  of  one's  friend  in  the 


THE   PATHFINDER.  205 

heart,  is  like  sleeping  with  lead  there.  I  have  no  faith  in 
your  presentiments !" 

The  serjeant,  although  he  scarce  knew,  himself,  with  what 
object,  complied,  and  Cap  was  summoned  to  join  in  the  con 
sultation.  As  Pathfinder  was  more  collected  than  his  com 
panion,  and  felt  so  strong  a  conviction  of  the  good  faith  of 
the  party  accused,  he  assumed  the  office  of  spokesman. 

"  We  have  asked  you  to  come  down,  Master  Cap,"  he 
commenced,  "  in  order  to  inquire  if  you  have  remarked  any 
thing  out  of  the  common  way,  in  the  movements  of  Eau-douce, 
this  evening." 

"His  movements  are  common  enough,  I  dare  say,  for 
fresh-water,  Master  Pathfinder,  though  we  should  think  most 
of  his  proceedings  irregular,  down  on  the  coast." 

"  Yes,  yes — we  know  you  will  never  agree  with  the  lad 
about  the  manner  the  cutter  ought  to  be  managed ;  but  it  is 
on  another  point  we  wish  your  opinion." 

The  Pathfinder  then  explained  to  Cap  the  nature  of  the 
suspicions  which  the  serjeant  entertained,  and  the  reasons 
why  they  had  been  excited,  so  far  as  the  latter  had  been 
communicated  by  Major  Duncan. 

"  The  youngster  talks  French,  does  he?"  said  Cap. 

"  They  say  he  speaks  it  better  than  common,"  returned 
the  serjeant,  gravely.  "  Pathfinder  knows  this  to  be  true." 

"  I  '11  not  gainsay  it — I  '11  not  gainsay  it,"  answered  the 
guide:  "at  least  they  tell  me  such  is  the  fact.  But  this 
would  prove  nothing  ag'in'  a  Mississagua,  and  least  of  all 
ag'in'  one  like  Jasper.  I  speak  the  Mingo  dialect  myself, 
having  learnt  it  while  a  prisoner  among  the  reptyles ;  but 
who  will  say  I  am  their  friend ! — Not  that  I  am  an  enemy, 
either,  according  to  Indian  notions  ;  though  I  am  their  enemy, 
I  will  admit,  agreeable  to  Christianity." 

"  Ay,  Pathfinder,  but  Jasper  did  not  get  his  French  as  a 
prisoner :  he  took  it  in,  in  boyhood,  when  the  mind  is  easily 
impressed,  and  gets  its  permanent  notions ;  when  nature  has 
a  presentiment,  as  it  were,  which  way  the  character  is  likely 
to  incline." 

"  A  very  just  remark,"  added  Cap,  "  for  that  is  the  time 
of  life,  when  we  all  learn  the  catechism,  and  other  moral 
improvements.  The  Serjeant's  observation  shows  that  he 
18 


THE  PATHFINDER. 

understands  human  nature,  and  I  agree  with  him  perfectly ; 
it  is  a  damnable  thing  for  a  youngster,  up  here,  on  this  bit 
of  fresh-water,  to  talk  French.  If  it  were  down  on  the 
Atlantic  now,  where  a  sea-faring  man  has  occasion  some 
times  to  converse  with  a  pilot,  or  a  linguister,  in  that  lan 
guage,  I  should  not  think  so  much  of  it,  though  we  always 
look  with  suspicion,  even  there,  at  a  shipmate  who  knows 
too  much  of  the  tongue :  but  up  here  on  Ontario,  I  hold  it  to 
be  a  most  suspicious  circumstance*" 

"  But  Jasper  must  talk  in  French  to  the  people  on  the  other 
shore,"  said  Pathfinder,  "  or  hold  his  tongue,  as  there  are 
none  but  French  to  speak  to." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  tell  me,  Pathfinder,  that  France  lies 
hereaway,  on  the  opposite  coast?"  cried  Cap,  jerking  a 
thumb  over  his  shoulder,  in  the  direction  of  the  Canadas ; 
"  that  one  side  of  this  bit  of  fresh-water,  is  York,  and  the 
other  France !" 

"  I  mean  to  tell  you  this  is  York,  and  that  is  Upper  Canada  ; 
and  that  English  and  Dutch  and  Indian  are  spoken  in  the 
first,  and  French  and  Indian  in  the  last.  Even  the  Mingos 
have  got  many  of  the  French  words  in  their  dialect,  and  it  is 
no  improvement,  neither." 

"  Very  true ;  and  what  sort  of  people  are  the  Mingos,  my 
friend?"  inquired  the  serjeant,  touching  the  other  on  a 
shoulder,  by  way  of  enforcing  a  remark,  the  inherent  truth 
of  which  sensibly  increased  its  value  in  the  eyes  'of  the 
speaker — "  No  one  knows  them  better  than  yourself,  and  I 
ask  you  what  sort  of  a  tribe  are  they?" 

"  Jasper  is  no  Mingo,  serjeant." 

"  He  speaks  French,  and  he  might  as  well  be,  in  that  par 
ticular.  Brother  Cap,  can  you  recollect  no  movement  of 
this  unfortunate  young  man,  in  the  way  of  his  calling,  that 
would  seem  to  denote  treachery  ?" 

"Not  distinctly,  serjeant,  though  he  has  gone  to  work 
wrong  end  foremost,  half  his  time.  It  is  true,  that  one  of 
his  hands  coiled  a  rope  against  the  sun,  and  he  called  it 
querling  a  rope,  too,  when  I  asked  him  what  he  was  about ; 
but  I  am  not  certain  that  anything  was  meant  by  it ;  though  I 
dare  say  the  French  coil  half  their  running  rigging  the  wrong 
way,  and  may  call  it '  querling  it  down,'  too,  for  that  matter. 
Then  Jasper,  himself,  belayed  the  end  of  the  jib-halyards  to 


THE   PATHFINDER.  207 

a  stretcher  in  the  rigging,  instead  of  bringing  them  into  the 
tnast,  where  they  belong,  at  least  among  British  sailors." 

"  I  dare  say  Jasper  may  have  got  some  Canada  notions, 
about  working  his  craft,  from  being  so  much  on  the  other 
side — "  Pathfinder  interposed — "  but  catching  an  idee,  or  a 
word,  is  n't  treachery  and  .bad  faith.  I  sometimes  get  an 
idee  from  the  Mingos  themselves ;  but  my  heart  has  always 
been  with  the  Delawares.  No— no — Jasper  is  true ;  and  the 
king  might  trust  him  with  his  crown,  just  as  he  would  trust 
his  eldest  son,  who,  as  he  is  to  wear  it  one  day,  ought  to  be 
the  last  man  to  wish  to  steal  it." 

"  Fine  talking — fine  talking — "  said  Cap,  rising  to  spit  out 
of  the  cabin-window,  as  is  customary  with  men  when  they 
most  feel  their  own  great  moral  strength,  and  happen  to  chew 

tobacco — "all  fine  talking,  Master  Pathfinder,  but  d d 

little  logic.  In  the  first  place,  the  king's  majesty  cannot 
lend  his  crown,  it  being  contrary  to  the  laws  of  the  realm, 
which  require  him  to  wear  it,  at  all  times,  in  order  that  his 
sacred  person  may  be  known,  just  as  the  silver  oar  is  neces 
sary  to  a  sheriff's  officer  afloat.  In  the  next  place,  it 's  high 
treason,  by  law,  for  the  eldest  son  of  his  majesty  ever  to 
covet  the  crown,  or  to  have  a  child,  except  in  lawful  wed 
lock,  as  either  would  derange  the  succession.  Thus  you 
see,  friend  Pathfinder,  that  in  order  to  reason  truly,  one 
must  get  under  way,  as  it  might  be,  on  the  right  tack.  Law 
is  reason,  and  reason  is  philosophy,  and  philosophy  is  a  steady 
drag — whence  it  follows  that  crowns  are  regulated  by  law, 
reason  and  philosophy." 

"I  know  little  of  all  this,  Master  Cap;  but  nothing 
short  of  seeing  and  feeling  will  make  me  think  Jasper 
Western  a  traitor." 

"  There  you  are  wrong  again,  Pathfinder,  for  there  is  a 
iray  of  proving  a  thing  much  more  conclusively  than  by 
either  seeing  or  feeling,  or  by  both  together :  and  that  is  by  a 
circumstance." 

"  It  may  be  so,  in  the  settlements ;  but  it  is  not  so,  here,  on 
the  lines." 

"  It  is  so  in  nature,  which  is  monarch  over  all.  Now, 
according  to  our  senses,  young  Eau-douce  is  this  moment  on 
deck,  and  by  going  up  there,  either  of  us  might  see  and  feel 
him ;  but,  should  it  afterwards  appear  that  a  fact  was  com- 


808  THE   PATHFINDER. 

municated  to  the  French  at  this  precise  moment,  which  fact 
no  one  but  Jasper  could  communicate ;  why,  we  should 
be  bound  to  believe  that  the  circumstance  was  true,  and  that 
our  eyes  and  fingers  deceived  us.  Any  lawyer  will  tell  you 
that." 

"  This  is  hardly  right,"  said  Pathfinder  ;  "  nor  is  it  possible, 
seeing  that  it  is  ag'in  fact." 

"  It  is  much  more  than  possible,  my  worthy  guide ;  it  is 
law ;  absolute,  king's  law  of  the  realm,  and,  as  such,  to  be 
respected  and  obeyed.  I  'd  hang  my  own  brother  on  such  testi 
mony  ;  no  reflections  on  the  family,  being  meant,  serjeant." 

"  God  knows  how  far  all  this  applies  to  Jasper  ;  though  I 
do  believe  Mr.  Cap  is  right,  as  to  the  law,  Pathfinder ;  cir 
cumstances  being  much  stronger  than  the  senses,  on  such 
occasions.  We  must  all  of  us  be  watchful,  and  nothing 
suspicious  should  be  overlooked." 

"  Now  I  recollect  me,"  continued  Cap,  again  using  the 
window,  —  "  there  was  a  circumstance,  just  after  we  came 
on  board  this  evening,  that  is  extremely  suspicious,  and 
which  may  be  set  down  at  once,  as  a  make-weight  against 
this  lad.  Jasper  bent  on  the  king's  ensign,  with  his  own 
hands,  and  while  he  pretended  to  be  looking  at  Mabel  and 
the  soldier's  wife,  giving  directions  about  showing  them  below, 
here,  and  all  that,  he  got  the  flag  union  down  !" 

"  That  might  have  been  accident,"  returned  the  serjeant, 
"  for  such  a  thing  has  happened  to  myself;  besides,  the  hal 
yards  lead  to  a  pulley,  and  the  flag  would  have  come  right, 
or  not,  according  to  the  manner  in  which  the  lad  hoisted  it." 

UA  pulley!"  exclaimed  Cap,  with  strong  disgust  —  "I 
wish,  Serjeant  Dunham,  I  could  prevail  on  you  to  use  proper 
terms.  An  ensign-halyard-block  is  no  more  a  pulley,  than 
your  halbert  is  a  boarding-pike.  It  is  true,  that  by  hoisting 
on  one  part,  another  part  would  go  uppermost ;  but  I  look 
upon  that  affair  of  the  ensign,  now  you  have  mentioned 
your  suspicions,  as  a  circumstance,  and  shall  bear  it  in  mind. 
J  trust  supper  is  not  to  be  overlooked,  however,  even  if  we 
have  a  hold  full  of  traitors." 

"  It  will  be  duly  attended  to,  brother  Cap ;  but  I  shall 
count  on  you,  for  aid  in  managing  the  Scud,  should  any 
thing  occur  to  induce  me  to  arrest  Jasper." 

"I  '11  not  fail  you,  sergeant ;  and  in  such  an  event  you  'I. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  20f) 

probably  learn  what  this  cutter  can  really  perform ;  for  as 
yet,  I  fancy  it  is  pretty  much  matter  of  guess-work." 

"  Well,  for  my  part,"  said  Pathfinder,  drawing  a  heavy 
sigh,  "  I  shall  cling  to  the  hope  of  Jasper's  innocence,  and 
recommend  plain  dealing,  by  asking  the  lad,  himself,  without 
further  delay,  whether  he  is,  or  is  not,  a  traitor.  I  '11  put 
Jasper  Western  against  all  the  presentiments  and  circum 
stances  in  the  colony." 

"  That  will  never  do,"  rejoined  the  serjeant.  "  The  re 
sponsibility  of  this  affair  rests  with  me,  and  I  request  and 
enjoin,  that  nothing  be  said  to  any  one,  without  my  knowledge. 
We  will  all  keep  watchful  eyes  about  us,  and  take  proper 
note  of  circumstances." 

"  Ay  —  ay  —  circumstances  are  the  things  after  all,"  re 
turned  Cap. — "  One  circumstance  is  worth  fifty  facts.  That 
I  know  to  be  the  law  of  the  realm.  Many  a  man  has  been 
hanged  on  circumstances." 

The  conversation  now  ceased,  and  after  a  short  delay,  the 
whole  party  returned  to  the  deck,  each  individual  disposed  to 
view  the  conduct  of  the  suspected  Jasper,  in  the  manner  most 
suited  to  his  own  habits  and  character. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

"  Even  such  a  man,  so  faint,  so  spiritless, 
So  dull,  so  dead  in  look,  so  woe-begone, 
Drew  Priam's  curtain  in  the  dead  of  night, 
And  would  have  told  him,  half  his  Troy  was  burned, 

SHAKSPEARE. 

ALL  this  time,  matters  were  elsewhere  passing  in  their 
usual  train.  Jasper,  like  the  weather,  and  his  vessel,  seemed 
to  be  waiting  for  the  land-breeze ;  while  the  soldiers,  accus 
tomed  to  early  rising,  had,  to  a  man,  sought  their  pallets  in 
the  main  hold.  None  remained  on  deck  but  the  people  of 
the  cutter,  Mr.  Muir,  and  the  two  females.  The  Quarter- 
Master  was  endeavouring  to  render  himself  agreeable  to  Ma 
bel,  while  our  heroine  herself,  little  affected  by  his  assiduities, 
which  she  ascribed  partly  to  the  habitual  gallantry  of  a  sol* 


216  THE    PATHFINDER. 

dier,  and  partly,  perhaps,  to  her  own  pretty  face,  was  enjoy- 
ing  the  peculiarities  of  a  scene  and  situation,  that,  to  her, 
were  full  of  the  charms  of  novelty. 

The  sails  had  been  hoisted,  but  as  yet  not  a  breath  of  air 
was  in  motion,  and  so  still  and  placid  was  the  lake,  that  not 
the  smallest  motion  was  perceptible  in  the  cutter.  She  had 
drifted  in  the  river-current  to  a  distance  a  little  exceeding  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  land,  and  there  she  lay,  beautiful 
in  her  symmetry  and  form,  but  like  a  fixture.  Young  Jasper 
was  on  the  quarter-deck,  near  enough  to  hear  occasionally 
the  conversation  which  passed,  but  too  diffident  of  his  own 
claim,  and  too  intent  on  his  duties,  to  attempt  to  mingle  in  it. 
The  fine  blue  eyes  of  Mabel  followed  his  motions  in  curious 
expectation,  and  more  than  once  the  Quarter-Master  had  to 
repeat  his  compliments,  ere  she  heard  them,  so  intent  was  she 
on  the  little  occurrences  of  the  vessel,  and,  we  might  add,  so 
indifferent  to  the  eloquence  of  her  companion.  At  length, 
even  Mr.  Muir  became  silent,  and  there  was  a  deep  stillness 
on  the  water.  Presently  an  oar-blade  fell  in  a  boat,  beneath 
the  fort,  and  the  sound  reached  the  cutter  as  distinctly  as  if 
it  had  been  produced  on  her  deck.  Then  came  a  murmur, 
like  a  sigh  of  the  night,  a  fluttering  of  the  canvass,  the 
creaking  of  the  boom,  and  the  flap  of  the  jib.  These  well 
known  sounds  were  followed  by  a  slight  heel  in  the  cutter, 
and  by  the  bellying  of  all  the  sails. 

"  Here 's  the  wind,  Anderson" — called  out  Jasper  to  the 
oldest  of  his  sailors — "  take  the  helm." 

This  brief  order  was  obeyed ;  the  helm  was  put  up,  the 
cutter's  bows  fell  off,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  the  water  was 
heard  murmuring  under  her  head,  as  the  Scud  glanced 
through  the  lake  at  the  rate  of  five  miles  in  the  hour.  All 
this  passed  in  profound  silence,  when  Jasper  again  gave  the 
order  to  **  ease  off  the  sheets  a  little,  and  keep  her  along  the 
land." 

It  was  at  this  instant  that  the  party  from  the  after-cabin 
reappeared  on  the  quarter-deck. 

"  You  've  no  inclination,  Jasper,  lad,  to  trust  yourself  too 
near  our  neighbours  the  French,"  observed  Muir,  who  took 
that  occasion  to  recommence  the  discourse.  "  Well,  well, 
your  prudence  will  never  be  questioned  by  me,  for  I  like  tho 
Canadas  as  little  as  you  can  possibly  like  them  yourself!" 


THE  PATHFINDER,  211 

"  I  hug  this  shore,  Mr.  Muir,  on  account  of  the  wind.  The 
land-breeze  is  always  freshest  close  in,  provided  you  are  not 
so  near  as  to  make  a  lee  of  the  trees.  We  have  Mexico  Bay 
to  cross,  and  that,  on  the  present  course,  will  give  us  quite 
offing  enough." 

"  I  'm  right  glad  it 's  not  the  Bay  of  Mexico,"  put  in  Cap, 
"  which  is  a  part  of  the  world  I  would  rather  not  visit  in  one 
of  your  inland  craft.  Does  your  cutter  bear  a  weather  helm, 
Master  Eau-deuce  ?" 

"  She  is  easy  on  her  rudder,  Master  Cap,  but  likes  looking 
up  at  the  breeze  as  well  as  another,  when  in  lively  motion." 

"  I  suppose  you  have  such  things  as  reefs,  though  you  can 
hardly  have  occasion  to  use  them  ?" 

Mabel's  bright  eye  detected  the  smile  that  gleamed,  for  an 
instant,  on  Jasper's  handsome  face,  but  no  one  else  saw  that 
momentary  exhibition  of  surprise  and  contempt. 

"  We  have  reefs,  and  often  have  occasion  to  use  them," 
quietly  returned  the  young  man.  "  Before  we  get  in,  Master 
Cap,  an  opportunity  may  offer  to  show  you  the  manner  in 
which  we  do  so,  for  there  is  easterly  weather  brewing,  and 
the  wind  cannot  chop,  even  on  the  ocean  itself,  more  readily 
than  it  flies  round  on  Lake  Ontario." 

"  So  much  for  knowing  no  better  !  I  have  seen  the  wind, 
in  the  Atlantic,  fly  round  like  a  coach-wheel,  in  a  way  to 
keep  your  sails  shaking  for  an  hour,  and  the  ship  would  be 
come  perfectly  motionless  from  not  knowing  which  way  to 
turn." 

"  We  have  no  such  sudden  changes  here,  certainly,"  Jas 
per  mildly  answered — "  though  we  think  ourselves  liable  to 
unexpected  shifts  of  wind.  I  hope,  however,  to  carry  this 
land-breeze  as  far  as  the  first  islands ;  after  which,  there  will 
be  less  danger  of  our  being  seen  and  followed,  by  any  of  the 
look-out  boats  from  Frontenac." 

"  Do  you  think  the  French  keep  spies  out  on  the  broad 
lake,  Jasper?"  inquired  the  Pathfinder. 

"  We  know  they  do ;  one  was  off  Oswego,  during  the 
night  of  Monday  last.  A  bark  canoe  came  close  in  with  the 
eastern  point,  and  landed  an  Indian  and  an  officer.  Had  you 
been  out-lying  that  night,  as  usual,  we  should  have  secured 
one,  if  not  both  of  them." 

It  was  tco  dark  to  betray  the  colour  that  deepened  on  the 


212  THE   PATHFINDER. 

weather-burnt  features  of  the  guide,  for  he  felt  the  conscious 
ness  of  having  lingered  in  the  fort  that  night,  listening  to  the 
sweet  tones  of  Mabel's  voice,  as  she  sang  ballads  to  her  fa 
ther,  and  gazing  at  a  countenance  that,  to  him,  was  radiant 
with  charms.  Probity,  in  thought  and  deed,  being  the  dis 
tinguishing  quality  of  this  extraordinary  man's  mind,  while 
he  felt  that  a  sort  of  disgrace  ought  to  attach  to  his  idleness, 
on  the  occasion  mentioned,  the  last  thought  that  could  occur 
would  be  to  attempt  to  palliate,  or  deny,  his  negligence. 

"  I  confess  it,  Jasper,  I  confess  it,"  he  said,  humbly.  "  Had 
I  been  out  that  night,  and  I  now  recollect  no  sufficient  reason 
why  I  was  not — it  might,  indeed,  have  turned  out  as  you 
say." 

"  It  was  the  evening  you  passed  with  us,  Pathfinder,"  Ma 
bel  innocently  remarked ;  "  surely  one  who  lives  so  much  of 
his  time  in  the  forest,  in  front  of  the  enemy,  may  be  excused 
for  giving  a  few  hours  of  his  time  to  an  old  friend,  and  his 
daughter." 

"  Nay,  nay,  I  Ve  done  little  else  but  idle  since  we  reached 
the  garrison,"  returned  the  other,  sighing ;  "  and  it  is  well 
that  the  lad  should  tell  me  of  it :  the  idler  needs  a  rebuke — 
yes,  he  needs  a  rebuke." 

"  Rebuke,  Pathfinder  !  I  never  dreamed  of  saying  anything 
disagreeable,  and  least  of  all  would  I  think  of  rebuking  you, 
because  a  solitary  spy,  and  an  Indian  or  two,  have  escaped 
us  !  Now  I  know  where  you  were,  I  think  your  absence  the 
most  natural  thing  in  the  world." 

"  I  think  nothing  of  it,  Jasper,  I  think  nothing  of  what 
you  said,  since  it  was  deserved.  We  are  all  human,  and  all 
do  wrong." 

"  This  is  unkind,  Pathfinder." 

"  Give  me  your  hand,  lad,  give  me  your  hand.  It  wasn't 
you  that  gave  the  lesson  ;  it  was  conscience." 

"  Well,  well,"  interrupted  Cap,  "  now  this  latter  matter  is 
settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  parties,  perhaps  you  will  tell 
us  how  it  happened  to  be  known  that  there  were  spies  near 
us,  so  lately.  This  looks  amazingly  like  a  circumstance!" 

As  the  mariner  uttered  the  last  sentence,  he  pressed  a  foot 
slyly  on  that  of  the  serjeant,  and  nudged  the  guide  with  his 
elbow,  winking,  at  the  same  time,  though  this  sign  was  lost 
in  the  obscurity. 


THE  PATHFINDER.  213 

"  It  is  known,  because  their  trail  was  found  next  day,  by 
the  Serpent,  and  it  w#s  that  of  a  military  boot  and  a  mocca 
sin.  One  of  our  hunters,  moreover,  saw  the  canoe  crossing 
towards  Frontenac  next  morning." 

"  Did  the  trail  lead  near  the  garrison,  Jasper,"  Pathfinder 
asked  in  a  manner  so  meek  and  subdued,  that  it  resembled 
the  tone  of  a  rebuked  school-boy.  "  Did  the  trail  lead  near 
the  garrison,  lad  ?" 

"  We  thought  not — though,  of  course,  it  did  not  cross  the 
river.  It  was  followed  down  to  the  eastern  point,  at  the 
river's  mouth,  where  what  was  doing  in  port  might  be  seen ; 
but  it  did  not  cross,  as  we  could  discover." 

"  And  why  didn't  you  get  under  way,  Master  Jasper,"  Cap 
demanded,  "  and  give  chase  1  On  Tuesday  morning  it  blew 
a  good  breeze ;  one  in  which  this  cutter  might  have  run  nine 
knots." 

"  That  may  do  on  the  ocean,  Master  Cap,"  put  in  Path 
finder,  "  but  it  would  not  do  here.  Water  leaves  no  trail, 
and  a  Mingo  and  a  Frenchman  are  a  match  for  the  devil,  in 
a  pursuit." 

"  Who  wants  a  trail,  when  the  chase  can  be  seen  from  the 
deck,  as  Jasper,  here,  said  was  the  case  with  this  canoe  1  and 
it  mattered  nothing  if  there  were  twenty  of  your  Mingos  and 
Frenchmen,  with  a  good  British-built  bottom  in  their  wake. 
I  '11  engage,  Master  Eau-deuce,  had  you  given  me  a  call,  that 
said  Tuesday  morning,  that  we  should  have  overhauled  the 
blackguards." 

"  I  dare  say,  Master  Cap,  that  the  advice  of  as  old  a  sea 
man  as  you  might  have  done  no  harm  to  as  young  a  sailor 
as  myself,  but  it  is  a  long  and  a  hopeless  chase  that  has  a 
bark  canoe  in  it." 

"  You  would  have  had  only  to  press  it  hard,  to  drive  it 
ashore." 

"  Ashore,  Master  Cap  !  You  do  not  understand  our  lake 
navigation  at  all,  if  you  suppose  it  an  easy  matter  to  force  a 
bark  canoe  ashore.  As  soon  as  they  find  themselves  pressed, 
these  bubbles  paddle  right  into  the  wind's  eye,  and  before 
you  know  it,  you  find  yourself  a  mile  or  two,  dead  under 
.heir  lee." 

"  You  don't  wish  me  to  believe,  Master  Jasper,  that  any 


214  THE  PATHFINDER. 

one  is  so  heedless  of  drowning,  as  to  put  off  into  this  lake,  in 
one  of  them  egg-shells,  when  there  is  aay  wind?" 

"  I  have  often  crossed  Ontario  in  a  bark  canoe,  even  when 
there  has  been  a  good  deal  of,  sea  on.  Well  managed,  they 
are  the  driest  boats  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge." 

Cap  now  led  his  brother-in-law  and  Pathfinder  aside,  when 
he  assured  him,  that  the  admission  of  Jasper  concerning  the 
spies  was  "  a  circumstance,"  and  "  a  strong  circumstance," 
and  as  such,  it  deserved  his  deliberate  investigation ;  while 
his  accou-nt  of  the  canoes  was  so  improbable,  as  to  wear  the 
appearance  of  browbeating  the  listeners.  Jasper  spoke  con 
fidently  of  the  character  of  the  two  individuals  who  had 
landed,  and  this  Cap  deemed  pretty  strong  proof  that  he  knew 
more  about  them,  than  was  to  be  gathered  from  a  mere  trail. 
As  for  moccasins,  he  said  that  they  were  worn,  in  that  part 
of  the  world,  by  white  men,  as  well  as  by  Indians ;  he  had 
purchased  a  pair  himself;  and  boots,  it  was  notorious,  did  not 
particularly  make  a  soldier.  Although  much  of  this  logic 
was  thrown  away  on  the  serjeant,  still  it  produced  some  ef 
fect.  He  thought  it  a  little  singular  himself,  that  there  should 
have  been  spies  detected  so  near  the  fort,  and  he  know  no 
thing  of  it ;  nor  did  he  believe  that  this  was  a  branch  of 
knowledge  that  fell  particularly  within  the  sphere  of  Jasper, 
ft  was  true,  that  the  Scud  had,  once  or  twice,  been  sent  across 
the  lake  to  land  men  of  this  character;  or  to  bring  them  off; 
but  then  the  part  played  by  Jasper,  to  his  own  certain  know 
ledge,  was  very  secondary,  the  master  of  the  cutter  remaining 
as  ignorant  as  any  one  else,  of  the  purport  of  the  visits  of 
those  whom  he  had  carried  to  and  fro ;  nor  did  he  see  why 
he,  alone,  of  all  present,  should  know  anything  of  the  late 
visit.  Pathfinder  viewed  the  matter  differently.  With  his 
habitual  diffidence,  he  reproached  himself  with  a  neglect  of 
duty,  and  that  knowledge,  of  which  the  want  struck  him  as 
a  fault  in  one  whose  business  it  was  to  possess  it,  appeared  a 
merit  in  the  young  man.  He  saw  nothing  extraordinary  in 
Jasper's  knowing  the  facts  he  had  related  ;  while  he  did  feel 
it  was  unusual,  not  to  say  disgraceful,  that  he  himself  now 
heard  of  them  for  the  first  time. 

"  As  for  moccasins,  Master  Cap,"  he  said,  when  a  short 
pause  invited  him  to  speak,  "  they  may  be  worn  by  pale 
faces,  as  well  as  by  red-skins,  it  is  true,  though  they  never 


THE  PATHFINDER.  215 

leave  the  same  trail  on  the  foot  of  one,  as  on  the  foot  of  the 
other.  Any  one  who  is  used  to  the  woods,  can  tell  the  foot 
step  of  an  Indian  from  the  footstep  of  a  white  man,  whether 
it  be  made  by  a  boot,  or  a  moccasin.  It  will  need  better  evi 
dence  than  this,  to  persuade  me  into  the  belief  that  Jasper  is 
false." 

"  You  will  allow,  Pathfinder,  that  there  are  such  things  in 
the  world  as  traitors,"  put  in  Cap,  logically. 

"  I  never  knew  an  honest-minded  Mingo ;  one  that  you 
could  put  faith  in,  if  he  had  a  temptation  to  deceive  you. 
Cheating  seems  to  be  their  gift,  and  I  sometimes  think  they 
ought  to  be  pitied  for  it,  rather  than  parsecuted." 

"  Then  why  not  believe  that  this  Jasper  may  have  the 
same  weakness  1  A  man  is  a  man,  and  human  nature  is 
sometimes  but  a  poor  concern,  as  I  know  by  experience ;  I 
may  say  well  know  by  experience ;  at  least  I  speak  for  my 
own  human  nature." 

This  was  the  opening  of  another  long  and  desultory  con 
versation,  in  which  the  probability  of  Jasper's  guilt  or  inno 
cence  was  argued,  pro  and  con,  until  both  theserjeant  and  his 
brother-in-law  had  nearly  reasoned  themselves  into  settled 
convictions  in  favour  of  the  first,  while  their  companion 
grew  sturdier  and  sturdier  in  his  defence  of  the  accused, 
and  still  more  fixed  in  his  opinion  of  his  being  unjustly 
charged  with  treachery.  In  this  there  was  nothing  out  of  the 
common  course  of  things,  for  there  is  no  more  certain  way 
of  arriving  at  any  particular  notion,  than  by  undertaking  to 
defend  it ;  and  among  the  most  obstinate  of  our  opinions,  may 
be  classed  those  which  are  derived  from  discussions  in  which 
we  affect  to  search  for  truth,  while  in  reality  we  are  only 
fortifying  prejudice.  By  this  time,  the  serjeant  had  reached 
a  state  of.  mind  that  disposed  him  to  view  every  act  of  the 
young  sailor  with  distrust,  and  he  soon  got  to  coincide  with 
his  relative  in  deeming  the  peculiar  knowledge  of  Jasper,  in 
reference  to  the  spies,  a  branch  of  information  that  certainly 
did  not  come  within  the  circle  of  his  regular  duties,  as  "  a 
circumstance." 

While  this  matter  was  thus  discussed  near  the  taffrail, 
Mabel  sat  silent  by  the  companion-way  ;  Mr.  Muir  having 
gone  below,  to  look  after  his  personal  comforts,  and  Jasper 
standing  a  little  aloof,  with  his  arms  crossed,  and  his  eyes 


216  THE  PATHFINDER. 

wandering  from  the  sails  to  the  clouds,  from  the  clouds  to 
the  dusky  outline  of  the  shore,  from  the  shore  to  the  lake,  and 
from  the  lake  back  again  to  the  sails.  Our  heroine,  too,  began 
to  commune  with  her  own  thoughts.  The  excitement  of  the 
late  journey,  the  incidents  which  marked  the  day  of  her  ar 
rival  at  the  fort,  the  meeting  with  a  father  who  was  virtually 
a  stranger  to  her,  the  novelty  of  her  late  situation  in  the 
garrison,  and  her  present  voyage,  formed  a  vista  for  the 
mind's  eye  to  look  back  through,  that  seemed  lengthened  into 
months.  She  could  with  difficulty  believe,  that  she  had  so 
recently  left  the  town,  with  all  the  usages  of  civilized  life ; 
and  she  wondered,  in  particular,  that  the  incidents  which  had 
occurred  during  the  descent  of  the  Oswego,  had  made  so 
little  impression  on  her  mind.  Too  inexperienced  to  know, 
that  events,  when  crowded,  have  the  effect  of  time,  or  that 
the  quick  succession  of  novelties  that  pass  before  us  in 
travelling,  elevates  objects,  in  a  measure,  to  the  dignity  of 
events,  she  drew  upon  her  memory  for  days  and  dates,  in  or 
der  to  make  certain  that  she  had  known  Jasper,  and  the  Path 
finder,  and  her  own  father,  but  little  more  than  a  fortnight. 
Mabel  was  a  girl  of  heart,  rather  than  of  imagination, 
though  by  no  means  deficient  in  the  last,  and  she  could  not 
easily  account  for  the  strength  of  her  feelings  in  connection 
with  those  who  were  so  lately  strangers  to  her  ;  for  she  was 
not  sufficiently  accustomed  to  analyze  her  sensations,  to  un 
derstand  the  nature  of  the  influences  that  have  just  been  men- 
tioed.  As  yet,  however,  her  pure  mind  was  free  from  the 
blight  of  distrust,  and  she  had  no  suspicion  of  the  views  of 
either  of  her  suitors  ;  and  one  of  the  last  thoughts  that  could 
have  voluntarily  disturbed  her  confidence,  would  have  beet 
to  suppose  it  possible  either  of  her  companions  was  a  traitor 
to  his  king  and  country. 

America,  at  the  time  of  which  we  are  writing,  wa8  re- 
markable  for  its  attachment  to  the  German  family,  that  then 
sat  on  the  British  throne ;  for,  as  is  the  fact  with  all  provinces, 
the  virtues  and  qualities  that  are  proclaimed  near  the  centre 
of  power,  as  incense  and  policy,  get  to  be  a  part  of  political 
faith,  with  the  credulous  and  ignorant,  at  a  distance.  This 
truth  is  just  as  apparent  to-day,  in  connection  with  the  pro 
digies  of  the  republic,  as  it  then  was  in  connection  with  those 
distant  rulers,  whose  merits  it  was  always  safe  to  applaud, 


THE    PATHFINDER.  217 

and  whose  dements  it  was  treason  to  reveal.  It  is  a  conse 
quence  of  this  mental  dependence,  that  public  opinion  is 
so  much  placed  at  the  mercy  of  the  designing;  and  the 
world,  in  the  midst  of  its  idle  boasts  of  knowledge  and 
improvement,  is  left  to  receive  its  truths,  on  all  such 
points  as  touch  the  interests  of  the  powerful  and  managing, 
through  such  a  medium,  and  such  a  medium  only,  as  may 
serve  the  particular  views  of  those  who  pull  the  wires. 
Pressed  upon  by  the  subjects  of  France,  who  were  then  en 
circling  the  British  colonies,  with  a  belt  of  forts  and  settle 
ments,  that  completely  secured  the  savages  for  allies,  it 
would  have  been  difficult  to  say,  whether  the  Americans 
loved  the  English  more  than  they  hated  the  French ;  and 
those  who  then  lived  probably  would  have  considered  the 
alliance  which  took  place  between  the  cis-Atlantic  subjects 
and  the  ancient  rivals  of  the  British  crown,  some  twenty 
years  later,  as  an  event  entirely  without  the  circle  of  proba 
bilities.  In  a  word,  as  fashions  are  exaggerated  in  a  pro 
vince,  so  are  opinions  ;  and  the  loyalty,  that,  at  London, 
merely  formed  a  part  of  a  political  scheme,  at  New  York 
was  magnified  into  a  faith  that  might  almost  have  moved 
mountains.  Disaffection  was,  consequently,  a  rare  offence ; 
and,  most  of  all,  would  treason,  that  should  favour  France,  or 
Frenchmen,  have  been  odious  in  the  eyes  of  the  provincials. 
The  last  thing  that  Mabel  would  suspect  of  Jasper,  was  the 
very  crime  with  which  he  now  stood  secretly  charged  ;  and, 
if  others  near  her  endured  the  pains  of  distrust,  she,  at  least, 
was  filled  with  the  generous  confidence  of  a  woman.  As 
yet,  no  whisper  had  reached  her  ear  to  disturb  the  feeling  of 
reliance  with  which  she  had  early  regarded  the  young  sailor, 
and  her  own  mind  would  have  been  the  last  to  suggest  such 
a  thought,  of  itself.  The  pictures  of  the  past  and  of  the 
present,  therefore,  that  exhibited  themselves  so  rapidly  to  her 
active  imagination,  were  unclouded  with  a  shade  that  might 
affect  any  in  whom  she  felt  an  interest ;  and  ere  she  had 
mused,  in  the  manner  related,  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  the  whole 
scene  around  her  was  filled  with  unalloyed  satisfaction. 

The  season  and  the  night,  to  represent  them  truly,  were 
of  a  nature  to  stimulate  the  sensations  which  youth,  health, 
and  happiness  are  wont  to  associate  with  novelty.     The  wea 
ther  was  warm,  as  is  not  always  the  case  in  that  region  even 
19 


218  THE    PATHFINDER. 

in  summer,  while  the  air  that  came  off  the  land,  in  breathing 
currents,  brought  with  it  the  coolness  and  fragrance  of  th« 
forest.  The  wind  was  far  from  being  fresh,  though  there 
was  enough  of  it  to  drive  the  Scud  merrily  ahead,  and,  per 
haps,  to  keep  attention  alive,  in  the  uncertainty  that,  more  or 
less,  accompanies  darkness.  Jasper,  however,  appeared  to 
regard  it  with  complacency,  as  was  apparent  by  what  he 
said  in  a  short  dialogue  that  now  occurred  between  him  and 
Mabel. 

"At  this  rate,  Eau-douce,"  for  so  Mabel  had  already 
learned  to  style  the  young  sailor,  said  our  heroine,  "  we  can 
not  be  long  in  reaching  our  place  of  destination." 

"Has  your  father  then  told  you  what  that  is,  Mabel.?" 

"  He  has  told  me  nothing ;  my  father  is  too  much  of  a 
soldier,  and  too  little  used  to  have  a  family  around  him,  to 
talk  of  such  matters.  Is  it  forbidden  to  say  whither  we  are 
bound?" 

"  It  cannot  be  far,  while  we  steer  in  this  direction,  for  sixty 
or  seventy  miles  will  take  us  into  the  St.  Lawrence,  which 
the  French  might  make  too  hot  for  us ;  and  no  voyage  on 
this  lake  can  be  very  long." 

"  So  says  my  uncle  Cap ;  but,  to  me,  Jasper,  Ontario  and 
the  ocean  appear  very  much  the  same." 

"  You  have  then  been  on  the  ocean,  while  I,  who  pretend 
to  be  a  sailor,  have  never  yet  seen  salt-water !  You  must 
have  a  great  contempt  for  such  a  mariner,  as  myself,  in  your 
heart,  Mabel  Dunham !" 

"  Then  I  have  no  such  thing,  in  my  heart,  Jasper  Eau- 
douce.  What  right  have  I,  a  girl  without  experience  or 
knowledge,  to  despise  any ;  much  less  one  like  you,  who 
are  trusted  by  the  major  and  who  command  a  vessel  like 
this  !  I  have  never  been  on  the  ocean,  though  I  have  seen 
it ;  and,  I  repeat,  I  see  no  difference  between  this  lake  and 
the  Atlantic." 

"  Nor,  in  them  that  sail  on  both  ?  I  was  afraid,  Mabel, 
your  uncle  has  said  so  much  against  us  fresh-water  sailors, 
that  you  had  begun  to  look  upon  us  as  little  better  than  pre 
tenders." 

"  Give  yourself  no  uneasiness  on  that  account,  Jasper,  for 
I  know  my  uncle,  and  he  says  as  many  things  against  those 
who  live  ashore,  when  at  York,  as  he  now  says  against  those 


THE   PATHFINDER.  219 

who  sail  on  fresh- water.  No — no ;  neither  my  father,  nor 
myself,  think  any  thing  of  such  opinions  !  My  uncle  Cap,  if 
he  spoke  openly,  would  be  found  to  have  even  a  worse  no 
tion  of  a  soldier,  than  of  a  sailor  who  never  saw  the  sea." 

"  But  your  father,  Mabel,  has  a  better  opinion  of  soldiers, 
than  of  any  one  else ;  he  wishes  you  to  be  the  wife  of  a 
soldier." 

"  Jasper  Eau-douce ! — I,  the  wife  of  a  soldier ! — My  father 
wishes  it ! — AVhy  should  he  wish  any  such  thing — what  sol 
dier  is  there  in  the  garrison  that  I  coukL  marry — that  he 
could  wish  me  to  marry?" 

"  One  may  love  a  calling  so  well,  as  to  fancy  it  will  cover 
a  thousand  imperfections." 

"  But  one  is  not  likely  to  love  his  own  calling  so  well,  as 
to  cause  him  to  overlook  every  thing  else.  You  say  my 
father  wishes  me  to  marry  a  soldier,  and  yet  there  is  no  sol 
dier,  at  Oswego,  that  he  would  be  likely  to  give  me  to.  I 
am  in  an  awkward  position,  for  while  I  am  not  good  enough 
to  be  the  wife  of  one  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  garrison,  I  think, 
even  you  will  admit,  Jasper,  I  am  too  good  to  be  the  wife  of 
one  of  the  common  soldiers." 

As  Mabel  spoke  thus  frankly,  she  blushed,  she  knew  not 
why,  though  the  obscurity  concealed  the  fact  from  her  com 
panion  ;  and  she  laughed  faintly,  like  one  who  felt  that  the 
subject,  however  embarrassing  it  might  be,  deserved  to  be 
treated  fairly.  Jasper,  it  would  seem,  viewed  her  position 
differently  from  herself. 

"It  is  true,  Mabel,"  he  said,  "you  are  not* what  is  called 
a  lady,  in  the  common  meaning  of  the  word — " 

"  Not  in  any  meaning,  Jasper,"  the  generous  girl  eagerly 
interrupted;  "on  that  head,  I  have  no  vanities,  I  hope. 
Providence  has  made  me  the  daughter  of  a  serjeant,  and  I 
am  content  to  remain  in  the  station  in  which  I  was  born." 

"  But  all  do  not  remain  in  the  stations  in  which  they  were 
born,  Mabel,  for  some  rise  above  them,  and  some  fall  below 
them.  Many  Serjeants  have  become  officers — even  gene 
rals  ;  and  why  may  not  Serjeants'  daughters  become  officers 
ladies?" 

"  In  the  case  of  Serjeant  Dunham's  daughter,  I  know  no 
better  reason  than  the  fact  that  no  officer  is  likely  to  wish  to 
make  her  his  wife,"  returned  Mabel,  laughing. 


220  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  You  may  thinK  so ;  but  there  are  some  in  the  55th,  that 
know  better.  There  is  certainly  one  officer  in  that  regiment, 
Mabel,  who  does  wish  to  make  you  his  wife." 

Quick  as  the  flashing  lightning,  the  rapid  thoughts  of 
Mabel  Durham  glanced  over  the  five  or  six  subalterns  of  the 
corps,  who,  by  age  and  inclinations,  would  be  the  most  likely 
to  form  such  a  wish;  and  we  should  do  injustice  to  her 
habits,  perhaps,  were  we  not  to  say  that  a  lively  sensation  of 
pleasure  rose  momentarily  in  her  bosom,  at  the  thought  of 
being  raised  above  a  station  which,  whatever  might  be  hei 
professions  of  contentment,  she  felt  that  she  had  been  too 
well  educated  to  fill  with  perfect  satisfaction.  But  this  emo 
tion  was  as  transient  as  it  was  sudden,  for  Mabel  Dunham 
was  a  girl  of  too  much  pure  and  womanly  feeling,  to  view 
the  marriage  tie,  through  anything  so  worldly  as  the  mere 
advantages  of  station.  The  passing  emotion,  was  a  thrill 
produced  by  factitious  habits,  while  the  more  settled  opinion 
which  remained,  was  the  offspring  of  nature  and  principles. 

"  I  know  no  officer  in  the  55th,  or  any  other  regiment, 
who  would  be  likely  to  do  so  foolish  a  thing ;  nor  do  I  think 
I  myself,  would  do  so  foolish  a  thing,  as  to  marry  an  officer." 

"  Foolish,  Mabel !" 

"  Yes,  foolish,  Jasper.  You  know,  as  well  as  I  can  know, 
what  the  world  would  think  of  such  matters,  and  I  should  be 
sorry,  very  sorry,  to  find  that  my  husband  ever  regretted 
that  he  had  so  far  yielded  to  a  fancy  for  a  face,  or  a  figure, 
as  to  have  married  the  daughter  of  one  so  much  his  inferior 
as  a  serjeant."  - 

"  Your  husband,  Mabel,  will  not  be  so  likely  to  think  of 
the  father,  as  to  think  of  the  daughter." 

The  girl  was  talking  with  spirit,  though  feeling  evidently 
entered  into  her  part  of  the  discourse ;  but  she  paused  for 
near  a  minute  after  Jasper  had  made  the  last  observation, 
before  she  uttered  another  word.  Then  she  continued  in  a 
manner  less  playful,  and  one  critically  attentive  might  havo 
fancied  in  a  manner  that  was  slightly  melancholy : 

"  Parent  and  child  ought  so  to  live  as  not  to  have  two 
hearts,  or  two  modes  of  feeling  and  thinking.  A  common 
interest  in  all  things,  I  should  think  as  necessary  to  happiness 
in  man  and  wife,  as  between  the  other  members  of  the  same 
family.  Most  of  all,  ought  neither  the  man  nor  the  woman 


THE   PATHFINDER.  221 

to  have  any  unusual  cause  for  unhappiness,  the  world  fur 
nishing  so  many  of  itself." 

"  Am  I  to  understand,  then,  Mabel,  you  would  refuse  to 
marry  an  officer,  merely  because  he  was  an  officer?" 

"  Have  you  a  right  to  ask  such  a  question,  Jasper  ?"  said 
Mabel,  smiling. 

"No  other  right,  than  what  a  strong  desire  to  see  you 
happy  can  give,  which,  after  all,  may  be  very  little.  My 
anxiety  has  been  increased,  from  happening  to  know  that  it 
is  your  lather's  intention  to  persuade  you  to  marry  Lieutenant 
Muir." 

"  My  dear,  dear  father,  can  entertain  no  notion  so  ridicu 
lous  ;  no  notion  so  cruel !" 

"  Would  it,  then,  be  cruel  to  wish  you  the  wife  of  a  Quar 
ter-Master?" 

"  I  have  told  you  what  I  think  on  that  subject,  and  cannot 
make  my  words  stronger.  Having  answered  you  so  frankly, 
Jasper,  I  have  a  right  to  ask  how  you  know  that  my  father 
thinks  of  any  such  thing  ?" 

"  That  he  has  chosen  a  husband  for  you,  I  know  from  his 
own  mouth ;  for  he  has  told  me  this  much  during  our  fre 
quent  conversations,  while  he  has  been  superintending  the 
shipment  of  the  stores :  and  that  Mr.  Muir  is  to  offer  for  you, 
I  know  from  the  officer  himself;  who  has  told  me  as  much. 
By  putting  the  two  things  together,  I  have  come  to  the  opinion 
mentioned." 

"  May  not  my  dear  father,  Jasper," — Mabel's  face  glowed 
like  fire  while  she  spoke,  though  her  words  escaped  her 
slowly,  and  by  a  sort  of  involuntary  impulse, — "  May  not 
my  dear  father  have  been  thinking  of  another  ?  It  does  not 
follow,  from  what  you  say,  that  Mr.  Muir  was  in  his  mind." 

"  Is  it  not  probable,  Mabel,  from  all  that  has  passed  ? 
What  brings  the  Quarter-Master  here  ?  He  has  never  found 
it  necessary,  before,  to  accompany  the  parties  that  have  gone 
below :  he  thinks  of  you  for  his  wife ;  and  your  father  has 
made  up  his  own  mind  that  you  shall  be  so.  You  must  see, 
Mabel,  that  Mr.  Muir  follows  you  ?" 

Mabel  made  no  answer.  Her  feminine  instinct  had,  indeed, 
told  her  that  she  was  an  object  of  admiration  with  the  Quar 
ter-Master,  though  she  had  hardly  supposed  to  the  extent 
that  Jasper  believed :  and  she,  too,  had  even  gathered  from 
19* 


222  THE    PATHFINDER. 

the  discourse  of  her  father,  that  he  thought  seriously  of 
having  her  disposed  of  in  marriage ;  but,  by  no  process  of 
reasoning,  could  she  ever  have  arrived  at  the  inference  that 
Mr.  Muir  was  to  be  the  man.  She  did  not  believe  it  now, — 
though  she  was  far  from  suspecting  the  truth.  Indeed,  it  was 
her  own  opinion,  that  these  casual  remarks  of  her  father, 
which  had  struck  her,  had  proceeded  from  a  general  wish  to 
have  her  settled,  rather  than  from  any  desire  to  see  her  united 
to  any  particular  individual.  These  thoughts,  however,  she 
kept  secret ;  for  self-respect,  and  feminine  reserve,  showed 
her  the  impropriety  of  making  them  the  subject  of  discussion 
with  her  present  companion.  By  way  of  changing  the  con 
versation,  therefore,  after  the  pause  had  lasted  long  enough 
to  be  embarrassing  to  both  parties,  she  said, — 

"  Of  one  thing  you  may  be  certain,  Jasper ;  and  that  is  all 
I  wish  to  say  on  the  subject : — Lieutenant  Muir,  though  he 
were  a  colonel,  will  never  be  the  husband  of  Mabel  Dun 
ham.  And  now,  tell  me  of  your  voyage ;  —  when  will  it 
end  ?" 

"  That  is  uncertain.  Once  afloat,  we  are  at  the  mercy 
of  the  winds  and  waves.  Pathfinder  will  tell  you,  that  he 
who  begins  to  chase  the  deer  in  the  morning,  cannot  tell 
where  he  will  sleep  at  night." 

"  But  we  are  not  chasing  a  deer ;  nor  is  it  morning :  so 
Pathfinder's  moral  is  thrown  away." 

"  Although  we  are  not  chasing  a  deer,  we  are  after  that 
which  may  be  as  hard  to  catch.  I  can  tell  you  no  more 
than  I  have  said  already ;  for  it  is  our  duty  to  be  close- 
mouthed,  whether  anything  depends  on  it  or  not.  I  am 
afraid,  however,  I  shall  not  keep  you  long  enough  in  the 
Scud,  to  show  you  what  she  can  do  at  need." 

"  I  think  a  woman  unwise  who  ever  marries  a  sailor," 
said  Mabel,  abruptly,  and  almost  involuntarily. 

"  This  is  a  strange  opinion ;  why  do  you  hold  it  ?" 

"  Because  a  sailor's  wife  is  certain  to  have  a  rival  in  his 
vessel.  My  uncle  Cap,  too,  says  that  a  sailor  should  neve^ 
marry." 

"  He  means  salt-water  sailors,"  returned  Jasper,  laughing. 
"  If  he  thinks  wives  not  good  enough  for  those  who  sail  on 
the  ocean,  he  will  fancy  them  just  suited  to  those  who  sail 


THE    PATHFINDER.  223 

on  the  lakes.  I  hope,  Mabel,  you  do  not  take  your  opinions 
of  us  fresh- water  mariners  from  all  that  Master  Cap  says." 

"  Sail,  ho  f"  exclaimed  the  very  individual  of  whom  they 
were  conversing ;  —  "or  boat,  ho !  would  be  nearer  the 
truth." 

Jasper  ran  forward  ;  and,  sure  enough,  a  small  object  was 
discernible  about  a  hundred  yards  ahead  of  the  cutter,  and 
nearly  on  her  lee  bow.  At  the  first  glance,  he  saw  it  was  a 
bark  canoe ;  for,  though  the  darkness  prevented  hues  from 
being  distinguished,  the?  eye  that  had  got  to  be  accustomed 
to  the  night,  might  discern  forms  at  some  little  distance ;  and 
the  eye  which,  like  Jasper's,  had  long  been  familiar  with 
things  aquatic,  could  not  be  at  a  loss  in  discovering  the  out 
lines  necessary  to  come  to  the  conclusion  he  did. 

"  This  may  be  an  enemy ;"  the  young  man  remarked ; 
"  and  it  may  be  well  to  overhaul  him." 

"  He  is  paddling  with  all  his  might,  lad,"  observed  the 
Pathfinder,  "  and  means  to  cross  your  bows  and  get  to  wind 
ward,  when  you  might  as  well  chase  a  full-grown  buck  on 
snow-shoes !" 

"  Let  her  luff!" — cried  Jasper,  to  the  man  at  the  helm. — 
"  Luff  up,  till  she  shakes, — there,  steady,  and  hold  all  that." 

The  helmsman  complied,  and,  as  the  Scud  was  now  dash 
ing  the  water  aside,  merrily,  a  minute  or  two,  put  the  canoe 
so  far  to  leeward  as  to  render  escape  impracticable.  Jasper 
now  sprang  to  the  helm,  himself,  and  by  judicious  and  care 
ful  handling,  he  got  so  near  his  chase  that  it  was  secured  by 
a  boat-hook.  On  receiving  an  order,  the  two  persons  who 
were  in  the  canoe,  left  it,  and  no  sooner  had  they  reached 
the  deck  of  the  cutter,  than  they  were  found  to  be  Arrowhead 
and  his  wife. 


THE   PATHFINDER. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

u  What  pearl  is  it  that  rich  men  cannot  buy. 
'Hiat  learning  is  too  proud  to  gather  up; 
But  which  the  poor  and  the  despised  of  all 
Seek  and  obtain,  and  often  find  unsought  ? 
Tell  me — and  I  will  tell  thee  what  is  truth." 

COWPER. 

THE  meeting  with  the  Indian  and  his  wife,  excited  no  sur 
prise  in  the  majority  of  those  who  witnessed  the  occurrence, 
but  Mabel,  and  all  who  knew  of  the  manner  in  which  this 
chief  had  been  separated  from  the  party  of  Cap,  simulta 
neously  entertained  suspicions,  which  it  was  far  easier  to  feel, 
than  to  follow  out,  by  any  plausible  clue  to  certainty.  Path 
finder,  who,  alone,  could  converse  freely  with  the  prisoners, 
for  such  they  might  now  be  considered,  took  Arrowhead 
aside,  and  held  a  long  conversation  with  him,  concerning  the 
reasons  of  the  latter  for  having  deserted  his  charge,  and  the 
manner  in  which  he  had  been  since  employed. 

The  Tuscarora  met  these  inquiries,  and  he  gave  his  an 
swers  with  the  stoicism  of  an  Indian.  As  respects  the 
separation,  his  excuses  were  very  simply  made,  and  they 
seemed  to  be  sufficiently  plausible.  When  he  found  that  the 
party  was  discovered  in  its  place  of  concealment,  he  naturally 
sought  his  own  safety,  which  he  secured  by  plunging  into  the 
woods,  for  he  made  no  doubt  that  all  who  could  not  effect 
this  much,  would  be  massacred  on  the  spot.  In  a  word,  he 
had  run  away,  in  order  to  save  his  life. 

"This  is  well,"  returned  Pathfinder,  affecting  to  believe 
the  other's  apologies ;  "  my  brother  did  very  wisely  ;  but  his 
woman  followed  ?" 

"  Do  not  the  pale-faces'  women  follow  their  husbands  ? 
Would  not  Pathfinder  have  looked  back  to  see  if  one  he 
loved  was  coming  ?" 

This  appeal  was  made  to  the  guide,  while  he  was  in  a 
most  fortunate  frame  of  mind  to  admit  its  force ;  for  Mabel, 
and  her  blandishments  and  constancy,  were  getting  to  be 
images  familiar  to  his  thoughts.  The  Tuscarora,  though  he 


THE    PATHFINDER.  225 

could  not  trace  the  reason,  saw  that  his  excuse  was  admitted, 
and  he  stood,  with  quiet  dignity,  awaiting  the  next  inquiry. 

"  This  is  reasonable  and  natural,"  returned  Pathfinder  in 
English,  passing  from  one  language  to  the  other,  insensibly 
to  himself,  as  his  feelings  or  habit  dictated — "  this  is  natu 
ral,  and  may  be  so.  A  woman  would  be  likely  to  follow 
the  man  to  whom  she  had  plighted  faith,  and  husband  and 
wife  are  one  flesh.  Mabel,  herself,  would  have  been  likely 
to  follow  the  serjeant,  had  he  been  present,  and  retreated  in 
this  manner ;  and,  no  doubt,  no  doubt,  the  warm-hearted  girl 
would  have  followed  her  husband !  Your  words  are  honest, 
Tuscarora,"  changing  the  language  to  the  dialect  of  the  other. 
"  Your  words  are  honest,  and  very  pleasant,  and  just.  But 
why  has  my  brother  bef n  so  long  from  the  fort  1  his  friends 
have  thought  of  him  often,  but  have  never  seen  him  !" 

"  If  the  doe  follows  the  buck,  ought  not  the  buck  to  follow 
the  doe !"  answered  the  Tuscarora  smiling,  as  he  laid  a  finger 
significantly  on  the  shoulder  of  his  interrogator.  "  Arrow 
head's  wife  followed  Arrowhead ;  it  was  right  in  Arrowhead 
to  follow  his  wife.  She  lost  her  way,  and  they  made  her 
cook  in  a  strange  wigwam." 

"  I  understand  you,  Tuscarora.  The  woman  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Mingos,  and  you  kept  upon  their  trail." 

"  Pathfinder  can  see  a  reason,  as  easily  as  he  can  see  the 
moss  on  the  trees.  It  is  so." 

"  And  how  long  have  you  got  the  woman  back,  and  in 
what  manner  has  it  been  done  ?" 

"  Two  suns.  The  Dew  of  June  was  not  long  in  coming, 
when  her  husband  whispered  to  her  the  path." 

"  Well,  well,  all  this  seems  natural,  and  according  to  ma 
trimony.  But,  Tuscarora,  how  did  you  get  that  canoe,  and 
why  are  you  paddling  towards  the  St.  Lawrence,  instead  of 
the  garrison  ?" 

"  Arrowhead  can  tell  his  own  from  that  of  another.  This 
canoe  is  mine ;  I  found  it  on  the  shore,  near  the  fort." 

"  That  sounds  reasonable,  too,  for  the  canoe  does  belong 
to  the  man,  and  an  Indian  would  make  few  words  about  tak 
ing  it.  Still,  it  is  extraordinary  that  we  saw  nothing  of  the 
fellow  and  his  wife,  for  the  canoe  must  have  left  the  river  be 
fore  we  did  ourselves." 


226  THE   PATHFINDER. 

This  idea,  which  passed  rapidly  through  the  mind  of  thfl 
guide,  was  now  put  to  the  Indian  in  the  shape  of  a  question. 

"  Pathfinder  knows  that  a  warrior  can  have  shame.  Tho 
father  would  have  askea  me  for  his  daughter,  and  I  could  not 
give  him  to  her.  I  sent  the  Dew  of  June  for  the  canoe,  and 
no  one  spoke  to  the  woman.  A  Tuscarora  woman  would 
not  be  free  in  speaking  to  strange  men." 

All  this,  too,  was  plausible,  and  in  conformity  with  Indian 
character,  and  Indian  customs.  As  was  usual,  Arrowhead 
had  received  one  half  of  his  compensation  previously  to  quit 
ting  the  Mohawk ;  and  his  refraining  to  demand  the  residue 
was  a  proof  of  that  conscientious  consideration  of  mutual 
rights  that  quite  as  often  distinguishes  the  morality  of  a  saV 
age,  as  that  of  a  Christian.  To  one  as  upright  as  Pathfinder, 
Arrowhead  had  conducted  himself  with  delicacy  and  propri 
ety,  though  it  would  have  been  more  in  accordance  with  his 
own  frank  nature,  to  have  met  the  father,  and  abided  by  the 
simple  truth.  Still,  accustomed  to  the  ways  of  Indians,  he 
saw  nothing  out  of  the  ordinary  track  of  things,  in  the  course 
the  other  had  taken. 

"  This  runs  like  water  flowing  down  hill,  Arrowhead," 
he  answered,  after  a  little  reflection,  "  and  truth  obliges  me 
to  own  it.  It  was  the  gift  of  a  red-skin  to  act  in  this  way, 
though  I  do  not  think  it  was  the  gift  of  a  pale-face.  You 
would  not  look  upon  the  grief  of  the  girl's  father  ?" 

Arrowhead  made  a  quiet  inclination  of  the  body,  as  if  to 
assent. 

"  One  thing  more  my  brother  will  tell  me,"  continued  Path 
finder,  "  and  there  will  be  no  cloud  between  his  wigwam  and 
the  strong-house  of  the  Yengeese.  If  he  can  blow  away  this 
bit  of  fog,  with  his  breath,  his  friends  will  look  at  him,  as  he 
sits  by  his  own  fire,  and  he  can  look  at  them,  as  they  lay 
aside  their  arms,  and  forget  that  they  are  warriors.  Why 
was  the  head  of  Arrowhead's  canoe  looking  towards  the  St. 
Lawrence,  where  there  are  none  but  enemies  to  be  found  ?" 

"  Why  were  the  Pathfinder  and  his  friends  looking  the 
same  way  V  asked  the  Tuscarora,  calmly.  "A  Tuscarora 
may  look  in  the  same  direction  as  a  Yengeese." 

"  Why,  to  own  the  truth,  Arrowhead,  we  are  out  scouting, 
like; — that  is  sailing — in  other  wcrds,  we  are  on  the  king's 


THE    PATHFINDER.  227 

business,  and  \ve  have  a  right  to  be  here,  though  we  may  not 
have  a  right  to  say  why  we  are  here." 

"  Arrowhead  saw  the  big  canoe,  and  he  loves  to  look  on 
the  face  of  Eau-douce,  He  was  going  towards  the  sun  at 
evening,  in  order  to  seek  his  wigwam ;  but  finding  that  the 
young  sailor  was  going  the  other  way,  he  turned  that  he 
might  look  in  the  same  direction,  Eau-douce  and  Arrowhead 
were  together  on  the  last  trail," 

"  This  may  all  be  true,  Tuscarora,  and  you  are  welcome. 
You  shall  eat  of  our  venison,  and  then  we  must  separate. 
The  setting  sun  is  behind  us,  and  both  of  us  move  quick  :  my 
brother  will  get  too  far  from  that  which  he  seeks,  unless  he 
turns  round." 

Pathfinder  now  returned  to  the  others,  and  repeated  the 
result  of  his  examination.  He  appeared  himself  to  believe 
that  the  account  of  Arrowhead  might  be  true,  though  he  ad 
mitted  that  caution  would  be  prudent  with  one  he  disliked  ; 
but  his  auditors,  Jasper  excepted,  seemed  less  disposed  to  put 
faith  in  the  explanations. 

"  This  chap  must  be  ironed  at  once,  brother  Dunham," 
said  Cap,  as  soon  as  Pathfinder  finished  his  narration  ;  "  he 
must  be  turned  over  to  the  master-at-arms,  if  there  is  any 
such  officer  on  fresh-water,  and  a  court-martial  ought  to  be 
ordered  as  soon  as  we  reach  port." 

**  I  think  it  wisest  to  detain  the  fellow,"  the  serjeant  an 
swered,  "  but  irons  are  unnecessary  so  long  as  he  remains 
in  the  cutter.  In  the  morning  the  matter  shall  be  inquired 
into." 

Arrowhead  was  now  summoned  and  told  the  decision.  The 
Indian  listened  gravely,  and  made  no  objections.  On  the 
contrary,  he  submitted  with  the  calm  and  reserved  dignity 
with  which  the  American  Aborigines  are  known  to  yieTd  to 
fate  ;  and  he  stood  apart,  an  attentive  but  calm  observer  of 
what  was  passing.  Jasper  caused  the  cutter's  sails  to  be  fill 
ed,  and  the  Scud  resumed  her  course. 

It  was  now  getting  near  the  hour  to  set  me  watch,  and 
when  it  was  usual  to  retire  for  the  night.  Most  of  the  party 
went  below,  leaving  no  one  on  deck  but  Cap,  the  seijeant, 
Jasper,  and  two  of  the  crew.  Arrowhead  and  his  wife  also 
remained,  the  former  standing  aloof  in  proud  reserve,  and  the 


228  THE    PATHFINDER. 

latter  exhibiting,  by  her  attitude  and  passivenuss,  the  rneei 
humility  that  characterizes  an  Indian  woman. 

"  You  will  find  a  place  for  your  wife  below,  Arrowhead, 
where  my  daughter  will  attend  to  her  wants,"  said  the  ser- 
jeant,  kindly,  who  was  himself  on  the  point  of  quitting  the 
deck  ;  "  yonder  is  a  sail,  where  you  may  sleep  yourself." 

"  I  thank  my  father.  The  Tuscaroras  are  not  poor.  The 
woman  will  look  for  my  blankets  in  the  canoe." 

"  As  you  wish,  my  friend.  We  think  it  necessary  to  de 
tain  you,  but  not  necessary  to  confine,  or  to  maltreat  you. 
Send  your  squaw  into  the  canoe  for  the  blankets,  and  you 
may  follow  her  yourself,  and  hand  us  up  the  paddles.  As 
there  may  be  some  sleepy  heads  in  the  Scud,  Eau-douce," 
added  the  serjeant,  in  a  lower  tone,  "  it  may  be  well  to  se 
cure  the  paddles." 

Jasper  assented,  and  Arrowhead  and  his  wife,  with  whom 
resistance  appeared  to  be  out  of  the  question,  silently  com 
plied  with  the  directions.  A  few  expressions  of  sharp 
rebuke  passed  from  the  Indian  to  his  wife,  while  both  were 
employed  in  the  canoe,  which  the  latter  received  with  sub 
missive  quiet,  immediately  repairing  an  error  she  had  made, 
by  laying  aside  the  blanket  she  had  taken,  and  searching 
another  that  was  more  to  her  tyrant's  mind. 

"  Come,  bear  a  hand,  Arrowhead,"  said  the  serjeant,  who 
stood  on  the  gunwale,  overlooking  the  movements  of  the 
two,  which  were  proceeding  too  slowly  for  the  impatience  of 
a  drowsy  man ;  "  it  is  getting  late ;  and  we  soldiers  have 
such  a  thing  as  reveille — early  to  bed  and  early  to  rise." 

"  Arrowhead  is  coming,"  was  the  answer,  as  the  Tusca- 
rora  stepped  towards  the  head  of  his  canoe. 

One  blow  of  his  keen  knife  severed  the  rope  which  held  the 
boat,  and  then  the  cutter  glanced  ahead,  leaving  the  light 
bubble  of  bark,  which  instantly  lost  its  way,  almost  station 
ary.  So  suddenly  and  dexterously  was  this  manoeuvre  per 
formed,  that  the  canoe  was  on  the  lee  quarter  of  the  Scud, 
before  the  serjeant  was  aware  of  the  artifice,  and  quite  in  her 
wake,  ere  he  had  time  to  announce  it  to  his  companions. 

"  Hard-a-lec  !"  shouted  Jasper,  letting  fly  the  jib-sheet  with 

his  own  hands,  when  the  cutter  came  swiftly  up  to  the  breeze, 

vith  all  her  canvass  flapping,  or  was  running  into  the  wind's 

ye,  as  seamen  term  it,  until  the  light  craft  was  a  hundred  feet 


THE   PATHFINDER.  229 

lo  windward  of  her  former  position.  Quick  and  dexterous  as 
was  this  movement,  and  ready  as  had  been  the  expedient,  it 
was  not  quicker,  or  more  ready*  than  that  of  the  Tuscarora. 
With  an  intelligence  that  denoted  some  familiarity  with  ves 
sels,  he  had  seized  his  paddle,  and  was  already  skimming  the 
water,  aided  by  the  efforts  of  his  wife.  The  direction  he 
took  was  south-westerly,  or  on  a  line  that  led  him  equally 
towards  the  wind  and  the  shore,  while  it  also  kept  him  so  far 
aloof  from  the  cutter,  as  to  avoid  the  danger  of  the  latter's 
falling  on  board  of  him,  when  she  filled  on  the  other  tack. 
Swiftly  as  the  Scud  had  shot  into  the  wind,  and  far  as  she 
had  forged  ahead,  Jasper  knew  it  was  necessary  to  cast  her, 
ere  she  had  lost  all  her  way ;  and  it  was  not  two  minutes 
from  the  time  the  helm  had  been  put  down,  before  the  lively 
little  craft  was  aback  forward,  and  rapidly  falling  off,  in 
order  to  allow  her  sails  to  fill  on  the  opposite  tack. 

"  He  will  escape  !"  said  Jasper,  the  instant  he  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  relative  bearings  of  the  cutter  and  the  canoe. 
"  The  cunning  knave  is  paddling  dead  to  windward,  and  the 
Scud  can  never  overtake  him  !" 

"  You  have  a  canoe  !"  exclaimed  the  serjeant,  manifesting 
the  eagerness  of  a  boy  to  join  in  the  pursuit,  "  let  us  launch 
it,  and  give  chase !" 

"  'T  will  be  useless.  If  Pathfinder  had  been  on  deck, 
there  might  have  been  a  chance  ;  but  there  is  none  now.  To 
launch  the  canoe  would  have  taken  three  or  four  minutes; 
and  the  time  lost  would  be  sufficient  for  the  purposes  of 
Arrowhead." 

Both  Cap  and  the  serjeant  saw  the  truth  of  this,  which 
would  have  been  nearly  self-evident  even  to  one  unaccustomed 
to  vessels.  The  shore  was  distant  less  than  half  a  mile>  and 
the  canoe  was  already  glancing  into  its  shadows,  at  a  rate 
to  show  that  it  would  reach  the  land  ere  its  pursuers  could 
probably  get  half  the  distance.  The  canoe,  itself,  might 
have  been  seized,  but  it  would  have  been  a  useless  prize  ;  for, 
Arrowhead,  in  the  woods,  would  be  more  likely  to  reach  the 
other  shore  without  detection,  than  if  he  still  possessed  the 
means  to  venture  on  the  lake  again  ;  though  it  might  be,  and 
probably  would  be,  a  greater  bodily  labour  to  himself.  The 
helm  of  the  Scud  was  reluctantly  put  up  again,  and  the  cut- 
,  ter  wore  short  round  on  her  heel,  coming  up  to  her  course 
20 


230  THE   PATHFINDER. 

on  the  other  tack,  as  if  acting  on  an  instinct.  All  this  was 
done  by  Jasper  in  profound  silence,  his  assistants  understand 
ing  what  was  necessary,  and  lending  their  aid  in  a  sort  of 
mechanical  imitation.  While  these  manoeuvres  were  in  the 
course  of  execution,  Cap  took  the  serjeant  by  a  button,  and 
led  him  towards  the  cabin-door,  where  he  was  out  of  ear 
shot,  and  began  to  unlock  his  stores  of  thought. 

"  Harkee,  brother  Dunham,"  he  said  with  an  ominous  face, 
"  this  is  a  matter  that  requires  mature  thought,  and  much 
circumspection." 

"  The  life  of  a  soldier,  brother  Cap,  is  one  of  constant 
thought  and  circumspection.  On  this  frontier,  were  we  to 
overlook  either,  our  scalps  might  be  taken  from  our  heads  in 
the  first  nap." 

"  But  I  consider  this  capture  of  Arrowhead  as  a  circum 
stance — and  I  might  add  his  escape  as  another.  This  Jaspei 
Fresh-water  must  look  to  it !" 

"  They  are  both  circumstances  truly,  brother ;  but  they 
tell  different  waj-s.  If  it  is  a  circumstance  against  the  lad, 
that  the  Indian  has  escaped,  it  is  a  circumstance  in  his  favour, 
that  he  was  first  taken." 

"  Ay,  ay,  but  two  circumstances  do  not  contradict  each 
other,  like  two  negatives.  If  you  will  follow  the  advice  of 
an  old  seaman,  serjeant,  not  a  moment  is  to  be  lost,  in  taking 
the  steps  necessary  for  the  security  of  the  vessel,  and  all  on 
board  of  her.  The  cutter  is  now  slipping  through  the  water 
at  the  rate  of  six  knots,  and  as  the  distances  are  so  short  on 
this  bit  of  a  pond,  we  may  all  find  ourselves  in  a  French 
port  before  morning,  and  in  a  French  prison  before  night." 

"  This  may  be  true  enough ;  what  would  you  advise  me 
to  do,  brother?" 

"  In  my  opinion  you  should  put  this  Master  Fresh-water 
under  arrest,  on  the  spot ;  send  him  below,  under  the  charge 
of  a  sentinel,  and  transfer  the  command  of  the  cutter  to  me 
All  this  you  have  power  to  perform,  the  craft  belonging  to 
the  army,  and  you  being  the  commanding  officer  of  the 
troops  present." 

Serjeant  Dunham  deliberated  more  than  an  hour  on  the 
propriety  of  this  proposal ;  for,  though  sufficiently  prompt 
when  his  mind  was  really  made  up,  he  was  habitually 
thoughtful  and  wary.  The  habit  of  superintending  the  per* 


THE   PATHFINDER.  231 

txmai  police  of  the  garrison  had  made  him  acquainted  with 
character,  and  he  had  long  been  disposed  to  think  well  of 
Jasper.  Still  that  subtle  poison,  suspicion,  had  entered  his 
soul ;  and  so  much  were  the  artifices  and  intrigues  of  the 
French  dreaded,  that,  especially  warned  as  he  had  been  by 
his  commander,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  the  recollection  of 
years  of  good  conduct,  should  vanish  under  the  influence  of 
a  distrust  so  keen,  and  seemingly  so  plausible.  In  this  em 
barrassment,  the  serjeant  consulted  the  Quarter-Master,  whose 
opinion,  as  his  superior,  he  felt  bound  to  respect,  though,  at 
the  moment,  independent  of  his  control.  It  is  an  unfortunate 
occurrence,  for  one  who  is  in  a  dilemma,  to  ask  advice  of 
another  who  is  desirous  of  standing  well  in  his  favour ;  the 
party  consulted  being  almost  certain  to  try  to  think  in  the 
manner  which  will  be  the  most  agreeable  to  the  party  con 
sulting.  In  the  present  instance,  it  was  equally  unfortunate, 
as  respects  a  candid  consideration  of  the  subject,  that  Cap, 
instead  of  the  serjeant  himself,  made  the  statement  of  the 
case ;  for  the  earnest  old  sailor  was  not  backward  in  letting 
his  listener  perceive  to  which  side  he  was  desirous  that  the 
Quarter-Master  should  lean.  Lieutenant  Muir  was  much  too 
politic  to  offend  the  uncle  and  father  of  the  woman  he  hoped 
and  expected  to  win,  had  he  really  thought  the  case  admitted 
of  doubt ;  but,  in  the  manner  in  which  the  facts  were  sub 
mitted  to  him,  he  was  seriously  inclined  to  think  that  it  would 
be  well  to  put  the  control  of  the  Scud  "temporarily  into  the 
management  of  Cap,  as  a  precaution  against  treachery.  This 
opinion  then  decided  the  serjeant,  who,  forthwith,  set  about 
the  execution  of  the  necessary  measures. 

Without  entering  into  any  explanations,  Serjeant  Dunham 
simply  informed  Jasper,  that  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  de 
prive  him,  temporarily,  of  the  command  of  the  cutter,  and  to 
confer  it  on  his  own  brother-in-law.  A  natural  and  involun 
tary  burst  of  surprise,  which  escaped  the  young  man,  was 
met  by  a  quiet  remark,  reminding  him  that  military  service 
was  often  of  a  nature  that  required  concealment,  and  a  decla* 
ration  that  the  present  duty  was  of  such  a  character,  that 
this  particular  arrangement  had  become  indispensable.  Al 
though  Jasper's  astonishment  remained  undiminished — the 
Serjeant  cautiously  abstaining  from  making  any  allusion  to 
his  suspicions  —  the  young  man  was  accustomed  to  obey 


232  THE   PATHFINDER. 

with  military  submission ;  and  he  quietly  acquiesced— with 
his  own  mouth  directing  the  little  crew  to  receive  their  further 
orders  from  Cap,  until  another  change  should  be  effected. 
When,  however,  he  was  told  the  case  required  that  riot  only 
he,  himself,  but  his  principal  assistant,  who,  on  account  of 
his  long  acquaintance  with  the  lake,  was  usually  termed  the 
pilot,  were  to  remain  below,  there  was  an  alteration  in  his 
countenance  and  manner  that  denoted  strong  feeling,  though 
it  was  so  well  mastered  as  to  leave  even  the  distrustful  Cap 
in  doubt  as  to  its  meaning.  As  a  matter  of  course,  how 
ever,  when  distrust  exists,  it  was  not  long  before  the  worst 
construction  was  put  upon  it. 

As  soon  as  Jasper  and  the  pilot  were  below,  the  sentinel  at 
the  hatch  received  private  orders  to  pay  particular  attention 
to  both ;  to  allow  neither  to  come  on  deck  again  without  giv 
ing  instant  notice  to  the  person  who  might  then  be  in  charge 
of  the  cutter,  and  to  insist  on  his  return  below,  as  soon  as 
possible.  This  precaution,  however,  was  uncalled  for ;  Jas 
per  and  his  assistant,  both  throwing  themselves  silently  on 
their  pallets,  which  neither  quitted  again  that  night. 

"  And,  now,  serjeant,"  said  Cap,  as  soon  as  he  found  him 
self  master  of  the  deck,  "  you  will  just  have  the  goodness  to 
give  me  the  courses  and  distance,  that  I  may  see  the  boat 
keeps  her  head  the  right  way." 

"  I  know  nothing  of  either,  brother  Cap,"  returned  Dun 
ham,  not  a  little  embarrassed  at  the  question.  "  We  must 
make  the  best  of  our  way  to  the  station  among  the  Thousand 
Islands,  where  '  we  shall  land,  relieve  the  party  that  is  already 
out,  and  get  information  for  our  future  government.'  That 's 
it,  nearly  word  for  word,  as  it  stands  in  the  written  orders." 

"  But  you  can  muster  a  chart — something  in  the  way  of 
bearings  and  distances,  that  I  may  see  the  road -?" 

"  I  do  not  think  Jasper  ever  had  anything  of  the  sort  to 
go  by." 

"  No  chart,  Serjeant  Dunham !" 

"  Not  a  scrap  of  a  pen,  even.  Our  sailors  navigate  this 
lake  without  any  aid  from  maps." 

"The  devil  they  do! — They  must  be  regular  Yahoos. 
And  do  you  suppose,  Serjeant  Dunham,  that  I  can  find  one 
island  out  of  a  thousand,  without  knowing  its  name,  or  its 
jpoeition — without  even  a  course,  or  a  distance  7" 


THE   PATHFINDER.  233 

'*  As  for  the  name,  brother  Cap,  you  need  not  be  particu 
lar,  for  not  one  of  the  whole  thousand  has  a  name,  and  so  a 
mistake  can  never  be  made  on  that  score.  As  for  the  posi 
tion,  never  having  been  there  myself,  I  can  tell  you  nothing 
about  it,  nor  do  I  think  its  position  of  any  particular  conse 
quence,  provided  we  find  the  spot.  Perhaps  one  of  the  hands 
on  deck  can  tell  us  the  way." 

"  Hold  on,  serjeant — hold  on,  a  moment,  if  you  please, 
Serjeant  Dunham.  If  I  am  to  command  this  craft,  it  must  be 
done,  if  you  please,  without  holding  any  councils  of  war  with 
the  cook  and  cabin-boy.  A  ship-master  is  a  ship-master, 
and  he  must  have  an  opinion  of  his  own,  even  if  it  be  a 
wrong  one.  I  suppose  you  know  service  well  enough  to  un 
derstand  that  it  is  better  in  a  commander  to  go  wrong,  than 
to  go  nowhere.  At  all  events,  the  Lord  High  Admiral 
could  n't  command  a  yawl  with  dignity,  if  he  consulted  the 
cockswain  every  time  he  wished  to  go  ashore.  No — sir — if 

I  sink,  I  sink  ;  but  d e,  I  '11  go  down  ship-shape  and  with 

dignity." 

"  But,  brother  Cap,  I  have  no  wish  to  go  down  anywhere, 
unless  it  be  to  the  station  among  the  Thousand  Islands,  whi 
ther  we  are  bound." 

"  Well,  well,  serjeant,  rather  than  ask  advice,  that  is,  direct, 
bare-faced  advice,  of  a  fore-mast  hand,  or  any  other  than  a 
quarter-deck  officer,  I  would  go  round  to  the  whole  thousand 
and  examine  them  one  by  one,  until  we  got  the  right  haven. 
But,  there  is  such  a  thing  as  coming  at  an  opinion  without 
manifesting  ignorance,  and  I  will  manage  to  rowse  all  there 
is,  out  of  these  hands,  and  make  them  think,  all  the  while,  that 
I  am  cramming  them  with  my  own  experience.  We  are 
sometimes  obliged  to  use  the  glass  at  sea,  when  there  is  no 
thing  in  sight,  or  to  heave  the  lead,  long  before  we  strike 
soundings.  I  suppose  you  know  in  the  army,  serjeant,  that 
the  next  thing  to  knowing  that  which  is  desirable,  is  to  seem 
to  know  all  about  it.  When  a  youngster,  I  sailed  two  v'y'ges 
with  a  man  who  navigated  his  ship  pretty  much  by  the  latter 
sort  of  information,  which  sometimes  answers." 

"  I  know  we  are  steering  in  the  right  direction,  at  present," 
returned  the  serjeant,  "  but  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours  we 
shall  be  up  with  a  headland,  where  we  must  feel  our  way 
with  more  caution." 
20* 


234  THE    PATHFINDER. 

«« Leave  me  to  pump  the  man  at  the  wheel,  brother,  and 
you  shall  see  that  I  will  make  him  suck,  in  a  very  few  min 
utes." 

Cap  and  the  sergeant  now  walked  aft,  until  they  stood  by 
the  sailor  who  was  at  the  helm,  Cap  maintaining  an  air  of 
security  and  tranquillity,  like  one  who  was  entirely  confident 
of  his  own  powers. 

"  This  is  a  wholesome  air,  my  lad,"  Cap  observed,  as  it 
might  be  incidentally,  and  in  the  manner  that  a  superior  on 
board  a  vessel  sometimes  condescends  to  use  to  a  favoured 
inferior.  "  Of  course,  you  have  it  in  this  fashion,  off  the  land, 
every  night  ?" 

"  At  this  season  of  the  year  sir,"  the  man  returned,  touch 
ing  his  hat,  out  of  respect  to  his  new  commander  and  Ser 
jeant  Dunham's  connexion. 

"  The  same  thing,  J.  take  it,  among  the  Thousand  Islands? 
— The  wind  will  stand  of  course,  though  we  shall  then  have 
land  on  every  side  of  us." 

"  When  we  get  further  east,  sir,  the  wind  will  probably 
shift,  for  there  can  then  be  no  particular  land-breeze." 

"  Ay,  ay — so  much  for  your  fresh-water !  It  has  always 
some  trick  that  is  opposed  to  nature.  Now,  down  among  the 
West  India  Islands,  one  is  just  as  certain  of  having  a  land- 
breeze,  as  he  is  of  having  a  sea-breeze.  In  that  respect  there 
is  no  difference,  though  it 's  quite  in  rule  it  should  be  differ 
ent  up  here,  on  this  bit  of  fresh-water.  Of  course,  my  lad, 
you  know  all  about  these  said  Thousand  Islands  ?" 

"  Lord  bless  you,  Master  Cap,  nobody  knows  all  about 
them,  or  anything  about  them.  They  are  a  puzzle  to  the 
oldest  sailor  on  the  lake,  and  we  don't  pretend  to  know 
even  their  ny.mes.  For  that  matter,  most  of  them  have  no 
more  names  than  a  child  that  dies  before  it  is  christened." 

"Are  you  a  Roman  Catholic 7" — demanded  the  serjeant, 
sharply. 

"  No,  sir,  nor  anything  else.  I  'm  a  generalizer  about 
religion,  never  troubling  that  which  don't  trouble  me." 

"  Hum !  a  generalizer  ;  that  is,  no  doubt,  one  of  the  new 
sects  that  afflict  the  country  !"  muttered  Mr.  Dunham,  whoso 
grandfather  had  been  a  New  Jersey  Quaker,  his  father  a 
Presbyterian,  and  who  had  joined  the  church  of  England 
himself,  sffter  he  entered  the  army. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  235 

"I  take  it,  John,"  resumed  Cap — "  your  name  is  Jack,  1 
believe?" 

"  No,  sir ;  I  am  called  Robert." 

"  Ay,  Robert — it 's  very  much  the  same  thing — Jack,  or 
Bob — we  use  the  two  indifferently.  I  say,  Bob,  it 's  good 
holding-ground,  is  it,  down  at  this  same  station  for  which  we 
are  bound  ?" 

"  Bless  you,  sir,  I  know  no  more  about  it  than  one  of  the 
Mohawks,  or  a  soldier  of  the  55th." 

"  Did  you  never  anchor  there  ?" 

"  Never,  sir.  Master  Eau-douce  always  makes  fast  to  the 
shore  * 

"  But  in  running  in  for  the  town,  you  kept  the  lead  going, 
out  of  question,  and  must  have  tallowed  as  usual  ?" 

"  Tallow !  and  town,  too !  Bless  your  heart,  Master  Cap, 
there  is  no  more  town  than  there  is  on  your  chin,  and  not 
half  as  much  tallow." 

The  serjeant  smiled  grimly,  but  his  brother-in-law  did  not 
detect  this  proof  of  facetiousness. 

"  No  church-tower,  nor  light,  nor  fort,  ha !  There  is  a 
garrison,  as  you  call  it  hereaway,  at  least." 

"  Ask  Serjeant  Dunham,  sir,  if  you  wish  to  know  that ! 
All  the  garrison  is  on  board  the  Scud." 

"  But,  in  running  in,  Bob,  which  of  the  channels  do  you 
think  the  best,  the  one  you  went  last,  or — or— or — ay,  or  the 
other?" 

"I  can't  say,  sir.     I  know  nothing  of  either." 

"  You  didn't  go  to  sleep,  fellow,  at  the  wheel,  did  you  ?" 

"  Not  at  the  wheel,  sir,  but  down  in  the  fore-peak,  in  my 
berth.  Eau-douce  sent  us  below,  soldiers  and  all,  with  the 
exception  of  the  pilot,  and  we  know  no  more  of  the  road  than 
if  we  had  never  been  over  it.  This  he  has  always  done,  in 
going  in  and  coming  out ;  and,  for  the  life  of  me,  I  could  tell 
you  nothing  of  the  channel,  or  of  the  course,  aftei  we  are 
once  fairly  up  with  the  islands.  No  one  knows  anything  of 
cither,  but  Jasper  and  the  pilot." 

"  Here  is  a  circumstance  for  you,  serjeant !"  said  Cap, 
leading  his  brother-in-law  a  little  aside — "  there  is  no  one  on 
board  to  pump,  for  they  all  suck  from  ignorance,  at  the  first 
stroke  of  the  brake.  How  the  devil  am  I  to  find  the  way  to 
this  station,  for  which  we  are  bound  ?" 


236  THE  PATHFINDER. 

"  Sure  enough,  brother  Cap ;  your  question  is  more  easily 
put  than  answered.  Is  there  no  such  thing  as  figuring  it  out 
by  navigation  1  I  thought  you  salt-water  mariners  were  able 
to  do  as  small  a  thing  as  that !  I  have  often  read  of  their 
discovering  islands,  surely." 

"  That  you  have,  brother ;  that  you  have ;  and  this  dis 
covery  would  be  the  greatest  of  them  all,  for  it  would  not 
only  be  discovering  one  island,  but  one  island  out  of  a  thou 
sand.  I  might  make  out  to  pick  up  a  single  needle  on  this 
deck,  old  as  I  am,  but  I  much  doubt  if  I  could  pick  one  out  of 
a  haystack." 

"  Still,  the  sailors  of  the  lake  have  a  method  of  finding  the 
places  they  wish  to  go  to." 

"  If  I  have  understood  you,  serjeant,  this  station,  or  block 
house,  is  particularly  private  ?" 

"  It  is  indeed ;  the  utmost  care  having  been  taken  to  pre 
vent  a  knowledge  of  its  position  from  reaching  the  enemy." 

"  And  you  expect  me,  a  stranger  on  your  lake,  to  find  this 
place  without  chart,  course,  distance,  latitude,  longitude,  or 

soundings — ay,  d e,  or  tallow  !      Allow  me  to  ask  if 

you  think  a  mariner  runs  by  his  nose,  like  one  of  Pathfinder's 
hounds?" 

"  Well,  brother,  you  may  yet  learn  something  by  question 
ing  the  young  man  at  the  helm ;  I  can  hardly  think  that  he 
is  as  ignorant  as  he  pretends  to  be." 

"  Hum — this  looks  like  another  circumstance !  For  that 
matter,  the  case  is  getting  to  be  so  full  of  circumstances,  that 
one  hardly  knows  how  to  foot  up  the  evidence.  But  we  will 
soon  see  how  much  the  lad  knows." 

Cap  and  the  serjeant  now  returned  to  their  station  near  the 
helm,  and  the  former  renewed  his  inquiries. 

"  Do  you  happen  to  know  what  may  be  the  latitude  and 
longitude  of  this  said  island,  my  lad  ?"  he  asked. 

"The  what,  sir?" 

"  Why,  the  latitude  or  longitude ;  one  or  both ;  I  'm  not 
particular  which,  as  I  merely  inquire  in  order  to  see  how 
they  bring  up  young  men  on  this  bit  of  fresh-water." 

"  I  'm  not  particular  about  either,  myself,  sir,  and  so  I  do 
not  happen  to  know  what  you  mean." 

"  Not  what  I  mean  ! — You  know  what  latitude  is  V 

- 


THE  PATHFINDER.  237 

"  Not  I,  sir,"  returned  the  man,  hesitating,  "  though  I  be 
lieve  it  is  French,  for  the  upper  lakes." 

"  Whe-e-e-w,"  whistled  Cap,  drawing  out  his  breath,  like 
the  broken  stop- of  an  organ  ;  "  latitude,  French  for  upper 
lakes !  Harkee,  young  man ;  do  you  know  what  longitude 
means  ?"  « 

"  I  believe  I  do,  sir — that  is  five  feet  six,  the  regulation 
height  for  soldiers  in  the  king's  service." 

"  There 's  the  longitude  found  out  for  you,  serjeant,  in  the 
rattling  of  a  brace-block !  You  have  some  notion  about  a 
degree,  and  minutes,  and  seconds,  I  hope  1" 

"Yes,  sir,  degree  means  my  betters,  and  minutes  and 
seconds  are  for  the  short  or  long  log-lines.  We  all  know 
these  things,  as  well  as  the  salt-water  people." 

»  D e,  brother  Dunham,  if  I  think  even  Faith  can  get 

along  on  this  lake,  much  as  they  say  it  can  do  with  moun 
tains.  I  'm  sure  character  is  in  no  security.  Well,  my  lad, 
you  understand  the  azimuth,  and  measuring  distances,  and 
how  to  box  the  compass." 

"  As  for  the  first,  sir,  I  can't  say  I  do.  The  distances  we 
all  know,  as  we  measure  them  from  point  to  point,  and  as 
for  boxing  the  compass,  I  will  turn  my  back  to  no  admiral 
in  his  Majesty's  fleet.  Nothe-nothe  and  by  east,  nothe-nothe- 
east,  nothe-east  and  by  nothe,  nothe-east ;  nothe-east  and  by 
east,  east-nothe-east,  east-and-by-nothe,  east; — " 

"  That  will  do — that  will  do.  You  '11  bring  about  a  shift 
of  wind,  if  you  go  on  in  this  manner.  I  see  very  plainly, 
serjeant,"  walking  away  again,  and  dropping  his  voice, 
'*  we  've  nothing  to  hope  for,  from  that  chap.  I  '11  stand  on 
two  hours  longer  on  this  tack,  when  we  '11  heave-to  and  get 
the  soundings  ;  after  which  we  will  be  governed  by  circum 
stances." 

To  this  the  serjeant,  who,  to  coin  a  word,  was  very  much 
of  an  idiosyncratist,  made  no  objections ;  and,  as  the  wind 
grew  lighter,  as  usual  with  the  advance  of  night,  and  there 
were  no  immediate  obstacles  to  the  navigation,  he  made  a 
bed  of  a  sail,  on  deck,  and  was  soon  lost  in  the  sound  sleep  of 
a  soldier.  Cap  continued  to  walk  the  deck,  for  he  was  one 
whose  iron  frame  set  fatigue  at  defiance,  and  not  once  that 
night  did  he  close  his  eyes. 

It  was  broad  daylight  when  Serjeant  Dunham  awoke,  and 


238  THE  PATHFINDER. 

the  exclamation  of  surprise  that  escaped  him,  as  he  rose  tc 
his  feet,  and  began  to  look  about  him,  was  stronger  than  i" 
was  usual  for  one  so  drilled  to  suffer  to  be  heard.  He  found 
the  weather  entirely  changed  ;  the  view  bounded  by  driving 
mist,  that  limited  the  visible  horizon  to  a  circle  of  about  a 
milejn  diameter,  the  lake  raging  and  covered  with  foam, 
and  the  Scud  lying-to.  A  brief  conversation  with  his  brother- 
in-law,  let  him  into  the  secrets  of  all  these  sudden  changes. 

According  to  the  account  of  Master  Cap,  the  wind  had  died 
away  to  a  calm,  about  midnight,  or  just  as  he  was  thinking 
of  heaving-to,  to  sound,  for  islands  ahead  were  beginning  to 
be  seen.  At  one  A.  M.  it  began  to  blow  from  the  north-east, 
accompanied  by  a  drizzle,  and  he  stood  off  to  the  northward 
and  westward,  knowing  that  the  coast  of  New  York  lay  in 
the  opposite  direction.  At  half  past  one,  he  stowed  the  stay 
sail,  reefed  the  mainsail,  and  took  the  bonnet  off  the  jib.  At 
two,  he  was  compelled  to  get  a  second  reef  aft ;  and  by 
half  past  two,  he  had  put  a  balance  reef  in  the  sail,  and  was 
lying-to. 

"  I  can't  say  but  the  boat  behaves  well,  serjeant,"  the  old 
sailor  added  ;  "  but  it  blows  forty-two  pounders  !  I  had  no 
idee  there  were  any  such  currents  of  air,  up  here  on  this  bit 
of  fresh-water,  though  I  care  not  the  knotting  of  a  yarn  for 
it,  as  your  lake  has  now  somewhat  of  a  natural  look,  and — " 
spitting  from  his  mouth,  with  distaste,  a  dash  of  the  spray 

that  had  just  wetted  his  face,  "  and  if  this  d d  water  had 

a  savour  of  salt  about  it,  one  might  be  comfortable." 

"How long  have  you  been  heading  in  this  direction,  brother 
Cap,"  inquired  the  prudent  soldier ;  "  and  at  what  rate  may 
we  be  going  through  the  water  ?" 

"  Why  two  or  three  hours,  mayhap,  and  she  went  like  a 
horse  for  the  first  pair  of  them.  Oh !  we've  a  fine  offing, 
now,  for,  to  own  the  truth,  little  relishing  the  neighbourhood 
of  them  said  islands,  although  they  are  to  windward,  I  took 
the  helm  myself,  and  run  her  off  free,  for  some  league  or 
two.  We  are  well  to  leeward  of  them,  I  '11  engage.  I  say  to 
leeward,  for,  though  one  might  wish  to  be  well  to  windward 
of  one  island,  or  even  half  a  dozen,  when  it  comes  to  a  thou 
sand,  the  better  way  is  to  give  it  up  at  once,  and  to  slide 
down  under  their  lee,  as  fast  as  possible.  No — no — there 


THE  PATHFINDER.  239 

they  are,  up  yonder  in  the  drizzle, — and  there  they  may  stay, 
for  anything  Charles  Cap  cares  !" 

"  As  the  north  shore  lies  only  some  five  or.  six  leagues 
from  us,  brother,  and  I  know  there  is  a  large  bay,  in  that 
quarter,  might  it  not  be  well  to  consult  some  of  the  crew 
concerning  our  position,  if  indeed  we  do  not  call  up  Jasper 
Eau-douce,  and  tell  him  to  carry  us  back  to  Oswego  1  It 
is  quite  impossible  we  should  ever  reach  the  station  with  this 
wind  directly  in  our  teeth." 

"  There  are  several  serious  professional  reasons,  serjeant, 
against  all  your  propositions.  In  the  first  place,  an  admis 
sion  of  ignorance,  on  the  part  of  a  commander,  would  destroy 
discipline — No  matter,  brother,  I  understand  your  shake  of 
the  head,  but  nothing  capsizes  discipline  so  much,  as  to  con 
fess  ignorance.  I  once  knew  a  master  of  a  vessel  who  went 
a  week  on  a  wrong  course,  rather  than  allow  he  had  made  a 
mistake;  and  it  was  surprising  how  much  he  rose  in  the 
opinions  of  his  people,  just  because  they  could  not  understand 
him." 

"That  may  do  on  salt-water,  brother  Cap ;  but  it  will  hardly 
do  on  fresh.  Rather  than  wreck  my  command  on  the  Canada 
shore,  I  shall  feel  it  a  duty  to  take  Jasper  out  of  arrest." 

"  And  make  a  haven  in  Frontenac !  No,  serjeant,  the 
Scud  is  in  good  hands,  and  will  now  learn  something  of 
seamanship.  We  have  a  fine  offing,  and  no  one  but  a  mad 
man  would  think  of  going  upon  a  coast  in  a  gale  like  this. 
I  shall  ware  every  watch,  and  then  we  shall  be  safe  against 
all  dangers,  but  those  of  the  drift,  which,  in  a  light,  low  craft 
like  this,  without  top-hamper,  will  be  next  to  nothing.  Leave 
it  all  to  me,  serjeant,  and  I  pledge  you  the  character  of 
Charles  Cap,  that  all  will  go  well." 

Serjeant  Dunham  was  fain  to  yield.  He  had  great  con 
fidence  in  his  connection's  professional  skill,  and  hoped  that 
he  would  take  such  care  of  the  cutter  as  would  amply  justify 
his  good  opinion.  On  the  other  hand,  as  distrust,  like 
love,  grows  by  what  it  feeds  on,  he  entertained  so  much 
apprehension  of  treachery,  that  he  was  quite  willing  any  one 
but  Jasper  should,  just  then,  have  the  control  of  the  fate  of 
the  whole  party.  Truth,  moreover,  compels  us  to  admit 
another  motive.  The  particular  duty  on  which  he  was  now 
cent,  should  have  been  confided  to  a  commissioned  officer 


240  THE  PATHFINDER. 

of  right ;  and  Major  Duncan  had  excited  a  good  deal  of  dis 
content  among  the  subalterns  of  the  garrison,  by  having 
confided  it  to  one  of  the  Serjeant's  humble  station.  To  re 
turn,  without  having  even  reached  the  point  of  destination, 
therefore,  the  latter  felt  would  be  a  failure  from  which  he 
was  not  likely  soon  to  recover ;  and  the  measure  wculd,  at 
once,  be  the  means  of  placing  a  superior  in  his  shoes. 


THE   PATHFINDER. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

**Thou  glorious  mirror,  where  the  Almighty's  form 

Glasses  itself  in  tempests  ;  in  all  time, 

Calm  or  convulsed  —  in  breeze,  or  gale,  or  storm, 

Icing  the  pole,  or  in  the  torrid  clime 

Dark  heaving;  —  boundless,  endless,  and  sublime  — 

The  image  of  Eternity  ;  the  throne 

Of  the  Invisible ;  even  from  out  thy  slime 

The  monsters  of  the  deep  are  made ;  each  zone 

Obeys  thee;  thou  goest  forth,  dread,  fathomless,  alone.1 

BYRON. 

As  the  day  advanced,  that  portion  of  the  inmates  of  the 
vessel  which  had  the  liberty  of  doing  so,  appeared  on  deck. 
As  yet,  the  sea  was  not  very  high,  from  which  it  was  infer 
red,  that  the  cutter  was  still  under  the  lee  of  the  islands ;  but 
it  was  apparent  to  all  who  understood  the  lake,  that  they 
were  about  to  experience  one  of  the  heavy  autumnal  gales 
of  that  region.  Land  was  nowhere  visible  ;  and  the  horizon, 
on  every  side,  exhibited  that  gloomy  void,  which  lends  to  all\ 
views,  on  vast  bodies  of  water,  the  sublimity  of  mystery^ 
The  swells,  or,  as  landsmen  term  them,  the  waves,  were 
short  and  curling,  breaking  of  necessity  sooner  than  the 
longer  seas  of  the  ocean  ;  while  the  element  itself,  instead  of 
presenting  that  beautiful  hue,  which  rivals  the  deep  tint  of 
the  southern  sky,  looked  green  and  angry,  though  wanting 
in  the  lustre  that  is  derived  from  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

The  soldiers  were  soon  satisfied  with  the  prospect,  and, 
one  by  one,  they  disappeared,  until  none  were  left  on  deck, 
but  the  crew,  the   serjeant,  Cap,  Pathfinder,  the  Quarter- 
Master,  and  Mabel.     There  was  a  shade  on  the  brow  of  the 
21 


242  THE   PATHFIlfDER. 

latter,  who  had  been  made  acquainted  with  the  real  state  of 
things ;  and  who  had  fruitlessly  ventured  an  appeal  in  favoui 
of  Jasper's  restoration  to  the  command.  A  night's  rest,  and  a 
night's  reflection,  appeared  also  to  have  confirmed  the  Path 
finder  in  his  opinion  of  the  young  man's  innocence ;  and 
he,  too,  had  made  a  warm  appeal  in  behalf  of  his  friend, 
though  w:th  the  same  want  of  success. 

Several  hours  passed  away,  the  wind  gradually  getting  to 
be  heavier,  and  the  sea  rising,  until  the  motion  of  the  cutter 
compelled  Mabel  and  the  Quarter-Master  to  retreat,  also. 
Cap  wore  several  times ;  and  it  was  now  evident  that  the 
Scud  was  drifting  into  the  broader  and  deeper  parts  of  the 
lake,  the  seas  raging  down  upon  her  in  a  way  that  none 
but  a  vessel  of  superior  mould  and  build  could  have  long 
ridden,  and  withstood.  All  this,  however,  gave  Cap  no 
uneasiness ;  but  like  the  hunter  that  pricks  his  ears  at  the 
sound  of  the  horn,  or  the  war-horse  that  paws  and  snorts 
with  pleasure  at  the  roll  of  the  drum,  the  whole  scene 
awakened  all  that  was  mart  within  him  ;  and  instead  of  the 
captious,  supercilious,  ^and  dogmatic  critic,  quarrelling  with 
trifles,  and  exaggerating  immaterial  things,  he  began  to  ex 
hibit  the  qualities  of  the  hardy  and  experienced  seaman,  that 
he  truly  was.  The  hands  soon  imbibed  a  respect  for  his 
skill ;  and,  though  they  wondered  at  the  disappearance  of 
their  old  commander,  and  the  pilot,  for  which  no  reason  had 
been  publicly  given,  they  soon  yielded  an  implicit  and  cheer 
ful  obedience  to  the  new  one. 

"  This  bit  of  fresh-water,  after  all,  brother  Dunham,  has 
some  spirit,  I  find,"  cried  Cap,  about  noon,  rubbing  his 
hands  in  pure  satisfaction  al  finding  himself  once  more 
wrestling  with  the  elements.  "  The  wind  seems  to  be  an 
honest  old-fashioned  gale,  and  the  seas  have  a  fanciful  re 
semblance  to  those  of  the  gulf  stream.  I  like  this,  serjeant, 
I  like  this ;  and  shall  get  to  respect  your  lake,  if  it  hold  out 
twenty-four  hours  longer  in  the  fashion  in  which  it  has  begun." 

"  Land,  ho !"  shouted  the  man  who  was  stationed  on  the 
forecastle. 

Cap  hurried  forward ;  and  there,  sure  enough,  the  land 
was  visible  through  the  drizzle,  at  the  distance  of  about  half 
a  mile, — the  cutter  heading  directly  towards  it.  The  first 
impulse  of  the  old  seaman  was  to  give  an  order  to  "  stand 


THE   PATHFINDER.  243 

by,  to  ware  off  shore ;"  but  the  cool-headed  soldier  restrained 
him. 

"  By  going  a  little  nearer,"  said  the  serjeant,  "  some  of 
us  may  recognize  the  place.  Most  of  us  know  the  American 
shore,  in  this  part  of  the  lake,'  and  it  will  be  something 
gained  to  learn  our  position." 

"  Very  true — very  true ;  if,  indeed,  there  is  any  chance 
of  that,  we  will  hold  on.  What  is  this  off  here,  a  little  on 
our  weather  bow  ?  It  looks  like  a  low  headland." 

"The  garrison,  by  Jove!"  exclaimed  the  other,  whose 
trained  eye  sooner  recognized  the  military  outlines  than  the 
less  instructed  senses  of  his  connection. 

The  serjeant  was  not  mistaken.  There  was  the  fort,  sure 
enough,  though  it  looked  dim  and  indistinct  through  the  fine 
rain,  as  if  it  were  seen  in  the  dusk  of  evening,  or  the  haze 
of  morning.  The  low,  sodded,  and  verdant  ramparts,  the 
sombre  palisades,  now  darker  than  ever  with  water,  the  roof 
of  a  house  or  two,  the  tall,  solitary  flag-staff,  with  its  hal 
yards  blown  steadily  out,  into  a  curve  that  appeared  traced 
in  immovable  lines  in  the  air,  were  all  soon  to  be  seen, 
though  no  sign  of  animated  life  could  be  discovered.  Even 
the  sentinel  was  housed ;  and,  at  first,  it  was  believed  that 
no  eye  would  detect  the  presence  of  their  own  vessel.  But 
the  unceasing  vigilance  of  a  border  garrison  did  not  slumber. 
One  of  the  look-outs  probably  made  the  interesting  discovery ; 
a  man  or  two  were  seen  on  some  elevated  stands,  and  then 
the  entire  ramparts,  next  the  lake,  were  dotted  with  human 
beings. 

The  whole  scene  was  one  in  which  sublimity  was  singu 
larly  relieved  by  the  picturesque.  The  raging  of  the  tempest 
had  a  character  of  duration,  that  rendered  it  easy  to  ima 
gine  it  might  be  a  permanent  feature  of  the  spot.  The 
roar  of  the  wind  was  without  intermission,  and  the  raging 
water  answered  to  its  dull  but  grand  strains,  with  hissing 
spray,  a  menacing  wash,  and  sullen  surges  The  drizzle 
made  a  medium  for  the  eye  which  closely  resembled  that 
of  a  thin  mist,  softening  and  rendering  mysterious  the  images 
it  revealed,  while  the  genial  feeling  that  is  apt  to  accompany 
a  gale  of  wind  on  water,  contributed  to  aid  the  milder  influ 
ences  of  the  moment.  The  dark,  interminable  forest  hove  ) 
up  out  of  the  obscurity,  grand,  sombre  and  impressive,  while 


244  THE    PATHriNDER. 

the  solitary,  peculiar  and  picturesque  glimpses  of  life  that 
were  caught  in  and  about  the  fort,  formed  a  refuge  for  the 
eye  to  retreat  to,  when  oppressed  with  the  more  imposing 
objects  of  nature. 

"  They  see  us,"  said  the  serjeant,  "  and  think  we  have 
returned  on  account  of  the  gale,  and  have  fallen  to  leeward 
of  the  port.  Yes,  there  is  Major  Duncan  himself,  on  the 
north-eastern  bastion ;  I  know  him  by  his  height,  and  by  the 
officers  around  him !" 

"  Serjeant,  it  would  be  worth  standing  a  little  jeering,  if  we 
could  fetch  into  the  river,  and  come  safely  to  an  anchor !  In 
that  case,  too,  we  might  land  this  Master  Eau-douce,  and 
purify  the  boat." 

"  It  would  indeed ;  but  as  poor  a  sailor  as  I  am,  I  well  know 
it  cannot  be  done.  Nothing  that  sails  the  lake  can  turn  to 
windward  against  this  gale ;  and  there  is  no  anchorage  out 
side,  in  weather  like  this." 

"  I  know  it — I  see  it — serjeant,  and  pleasant  as  is  that 
sight  to  you  landsmen,  we  must  leave  it.  For  myself,  I  am 
never  as  happy,  in  heavy  weather,  as  when  I  am  certain  that 
the  land  is  behind  me." 

The  Scud  had  now  forged  so  near  in,  that  it  became  indis 
pensable  to  lay  her  head  off  shore,  again,  and  the  necessary 
orders  were  given.  The  storm-staysail  was  set  forward,  the 
gaff  lowered,  the  helm  put  up,  and  the  light  craft,  that  seemed 
to  sport  with  the  elements  like  a  duck,  fell  off  a  little,  drew 
ahead  swiftly,  obeyed  her  rudder,  and  was  soon  flying  away 
on  the  top  of  the  surges,  dead  before  the  gale.  While  mak 
ing  this  rapid  flight,  though  the  land  still  remained  in  view, 
on  her  larboard  beam,  the  fort,  and  the  groups  of  anxious 
spectators  on  its  rampart,  were  swallowed  up  in  the  mist. 
Then  followed  the  evolutions  necessary  to  bring  the  head  of 
the  cutter  up  to  the  wind,  when  she  again  began  to  wallow 
her  weary  way  towards  the  north  shore. 

Hours  now  passed,  before  any  further  change  was  made,  the 
wind  increasing  in  force,  until  even  the  dogmatical  Cap  fairly 
admitted  it  was  blowing  a  thorough  gale  of  wind.  About 
sunset  the  Scud  wore  again,  to  keep  her  off  the  north  shore, 
during  the  hours  of  darkness ;  and  at  midnight  her  temporary 
master,  who,  by  questioning  the  crew  in  an  indirect  manner, 
liad  obtained  some  general  knowledge  of  the  size  and  shape 


THE  PATHFINDER.  245 

of  the  lake,  believed  himself  to  be  about  midway  between  the 
two  shores.  The  height  and  length  of  the  seas,  aided  this 
impression ;  and  it  must  be  added  that  Cap,  by  this  time, 
began  to  feel  a  respect  for  fresh-water,  that  twenty-four  hours 
earlier,  he  would  have  derided  as  impossible.  Just  as  the 
night  turned,  the  fury  of  the  wind  became  so  great,  that  he 
found  it  impossible  to  bear  up  against  it,  the  water  falling  on 
the  deck  of  the  little  craft  in  such  masses  as  to  cause  it  to 
shake  to  the  centre,  and,  though  a  vessel  of  singularly  lively 
qualities,  to  threaten  to  bury  it  beneath  its  weight.  The  peo 
ple  of  the  Scud  averred  that  never  before  had  they  been  out 
in  such  a  tempest ;  which  was  true ;  for,  possessing  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  all  the  rivers  and  head-lands  and  havens,  Jas 
per  would  have  carried  the  cutter  in  shore,  long  ere  this,  and 
placed  her  in  safety,  in  some  secure  anchorage.  But,  Cap 
still  disdained  to  consult  the  young  master,  who  continued 
below,  determining  to  act  like  a  mariner  of  the  broad 
ocean. 

It  was  one  in  the  morning,  when  the  storm-staysail  was 
again  got  on  the  Scud,  the  head  of  the  mainsail  lowered,  and 
the  cutter  put  before  the  wind.  Although  the  canvass  now 
exposed  was  merely  a  rag  in  surface,  the  little  craft  nobly 
justified  the  use  of  the  name  she  bore.  For  eight  hours  did  ' 
she  scud,  in  truth ;  and  it  was  almost  with  the  velocity  of  the 
gulls  that  wheeled  wildly  over  her  in  the  tempest,  apparently 
afraid  to  alight  in  the  boiling  caldron  of  the  lake.  The 
dawn  of  day  brought  little  change ;  for  no  other  horizon  be 
came  visible,  than  the  little  circle  of  drizzling  sky  and  water, 
already  described,  in  which  it  seemed  as  if  the  elements  were 
rioting  in  a  sort  of  chaotic  confusion.  During  this  time  the 
crew  and  passengers  of  the  cutter  were  of  necessity  passive. 
Jasper  and  the  pilot  remained  below ;  but,  the  motion  of  the 
vessel  having  become  easier,  nearly  all  the  rest  were  on  deck. 
The  morning  meal  had  been  taken  in  silence,  and  eye  met 
eye,  as  if  their  owners  asked  each  other,  in  dumb  show,  what 
was  to  be  the  end  of  this  strife  in  the  elements.  Cap,  how 
ever,  was  perfectly  composed,  and  his  face  brightened,  his 
step  grew  firmer,  and  his  whole  air  more  assured,  as  the 
storm  increased,  making  larger  demands  on  his  professional 
skill,  and  personal  spirit.  He  stood  on  the  forecastle,  his 
arms  crossed,  balancing  his  body  with  a  seaman's  instinct, 
21* 


246  THE   PATHFINDER. 

while  his  eyes  watched  the  caps  of  the  seas,  as  they  broke  ana 
glanced  past  the  reeling  cutter,  itself  in  such  swift  motion, 
as  if  they  were  the  scud  flying  athwart  the  sky.  At  this 
sublime  instant  one  of  the  hands  gave  the  unexpected  cry  of 
« a  sail!" 

There  was  so  much  of  the  wild  and  solitary  character  of 
the  wilderness  about  Ontario,  that  one  scarcely  expected  to 
meet  with  a  vessel  on  its  waters.  The  Scud,  herself,  to 
those  who  were  in  her,  resembled  a  man  threading  the  forest 
alone,  and  the  meeting  was  like  that  of  two  solitary  hunters 
beneath  the  broad  canopy  of  leaves  that  then  covered  so 
many  millions  of  acres  on  the  continent  of  America.  The 
peculiar  state  of  the  weather  served  to  increase  the  romantic, 
almost  supernatural  appearance  of  the  passage.  Cap  alone 
regarded  it  with  practised  eyes,  and  even  he  felt  his  iron 
nerves  thrill  under  the  sensations  that  were  awakened  by  the 
wild  features  of  the  scene. 

The  strange  vessel  was  about  two  cables'  length  ahead  of 
the  Scud,  standing  by  the  wind  athwart  her  bows,  and  steer 
ing  a  course  to  render  it  probable  that  the  latter  would  pass 
within  a  few  yards  of  her.  She  was  a  full-rigged  ship, 
and  seen  through  the  misty  medium  of  the  tempest,  the  most 
experienced  eye  could  detect  no  imperfection  in  her  gear  or 
construction.  The  only  canvass  she  had  set,  was  a  close- 
reefed  main-top-sail,  and  two  small  storm-staysails,  one  for 
ward  and  the  other  aft.  Still  the  power  of  the  wind  pressed 
so  hard  upon  her  as  to  bear  her  down  nearly  to  her  beam- 
ends,  whenever  the  hull  was  not  righted  by  the  buoyancy  of 
some  wave  under  her  lee.  Her  spars  were  all  in  their  places, 
and  by  her  motion  through  the  water,  which  might  have 
equalled  four  knots  in  the  hour,  it  was  apparent  that  she 
steered  a  little  free. 

"  The  fellow  must  know  his  position  well,"  said  Cap,  as 
the  cutter  flew  down  towards  the  ship,  with  a  velocity  almost 
equalling  that  of  the  gale,  "  for  he  is  standing  boldly  to  the 
southward,  where  he  expects  to  find  anchorage  or  a  haven. 
No  man  in  his  senses  would  run  off  free  in  that  fashion,  that 
was  not  driven  to  scudding,  like  ourselves,  who  did  not  per 
fectly  understand  where  he  was  going." 

"  We  have  made  an  awful  run,  captain,"  returned  the  man 
to  whom  this  remark  had  been  addressed.  "  That  is  tho 


THE    PATHFINDER.  247 

French  king's  ship,  Lee-my-calm,  (le  Montcalm,)  and  she  is 
standing  in  for  the  Niagara,  where  her  owner  has  a  garrison 
and  a  port.  We  Ve  have  made  an  awful  run  of  it !" 

"  Ay,  bad  luck  to  him !  Frenchman  like,  he  skulks  into 
port  the  moment  he  sees  an  English  bottom." 

"  It  might  be  well  for  us,  if  we  could  follow  him,"  return 
ed  the  man  shaking  his  head  despondingly,  "  for  we  are  get 
ting  into  the  end  of  a  bay  up  here  at  the  head  of  the  lake, 
and  it  is  uncertain  whether  we  ever  get  out  of  it  again !" 

"  Poh  !  man,  poh ! — We  have  plenty  of  sea  room,  and  a 
good  English  hull  beneath  us.  We  are  no  Johnny  Crapauds 
to  hide  ourselves  behind  a  point  or  a  fort,  on  account  of  a 
puff  of  wind.  Mind  your  helm,  sir !" 

The  order  was  given  on  account  of  the  menacing  appear 
ance  of  the  approaching  passage.  The  Scud  was  now  head 
ing  directly  for  the  fore-foot  of  the  Frenchman ;  and,  the  dis 
tance  between  the  two  vessels  having  diminished  to  a  hundred 
yards,  it  was  momentarily  questionable  if  there  was  room  to 
pass. 

"  Port,  sir — port !"  shouted  Cap.  "  Port  your  helm  and 
pass  astern !" 

The  crew  of  the  Frenchman  were  seen  assembling  to  wind 
ward,  and  a  few  muskets  were  pointed,  as  if  to  order  the  peo 
ple  of  the  Scud  to  keep  off.  Gesticulations  were  observed,  but 
the  sea  was  too  wild  and  menacing  to  admit  of  the  ordinary 
expedients  of  war.  The  water  was  dripping  from  the  muzzles 
of  two  or  three  light  guns  on  board  the  ship,  but  no  one 
thought  of  loosening  them  for  service  in  such  a  tempest.  Her 
black  sides,  as  they  emerged  from  a  wave,  glistened  and 
seemed  to  frown,  but  the  wind  howled  through  her  rigging, 
whistling  the  thousand  notes  of  a  ship  ;  and  the  hails  and  cries 
that  escape  a  Frenchman  with  so  much  readiness,  were  inau 
dible. 

"  Let  him  hollow  himself  hoarse !"  growled  Cap.  "  This 
is  no  weather  to  whisper  secrets  in.  Port,  sir,  port !" 

The  man  at  the  helm  obeyed,  and  the  next  send  of  the  sea 
drove  the  Scud  down  upon  the  quarter  of  the  ship,  so  near  her 
that  the  old  mariner,  himself,  recoiled  a  step,  in  a  va»tie  ex 
pectation  that,  at  the  next  surge  ahead,  she  would  drive  bows 
foremost  directly  into  the  planks  of  the  other  vessel.  But 
this  was  not  to  be.  Rising  from  the  crouching  posture  she 


248  THE  PATHFINDER. 

had  taken,  like  a  panther  about  to  leap,  the  cutter  dashed  on 
ward,  and,  at  the  next  instant,  she  was  glancing  past  the  stern 
of  her  enemy,  just  clearing  the  end  of  her  spanker-boom  with 
her  own  lower  yard. 

The  young  Frenchman,  who  commanded  the  Montcalm, 
leaped  on  the  taffrail,  and  with  that  high-toned  courtesy  whicfc 
relieves  even  the  worst  acts  of  his  countrymen,  he  raised  his 
cap  and  smiled  a  salutation  as  the  Scud  shot  past.  There 
were  bonhommie  and  good  taste  in  this  act  of  courtesy,  when 
circumstances  allowed  of  no  other  communications;  but  they 
were  lost  on  Cap,  who,  with  an  instinct  quite  as  true  to  his 
race,  shook  his  fist  menacingly,  and  muttered  to  himself — 

"  Ay — ay — it 's  d d  lucky  for  you  I  Ve  no  armament 

on  board  here,  or  I  'd  send  you  in  to  get  new  cabin-windows 
fitted.  Serjeant,  he 's  a  humbug." 

"  'T  was  civil,  brother  Cap,"  returned  the  other,  lowering 
his  hand  from  the  military  salute  which  his  pride  as  a  soldier 
had  induced  him  to  return — "  't  was  civil,  and  that  >s  as  much 
as  you  can  expect  from  a  Frenchman.  What  he  really  meant 
by  it,  no  one  can  say." 

"  He  is  not  heading  up  to  this  sea  without  an  object,  nei 
ther  !  Well,  let  him  run  in,  if  he  can  get  there ;  we  will 
keep  the  lake,  like  hearty  English  mariners." 

This  sounded  gloriously,  but  Cap  eyed  with  envy,  the  glit 
tering  black  mass  of  the  Montcalm's  hull,  her  waving  top-sail, 
and  the  misty  tracery  of  her  spars,  as  she  grew  less  and  less 
distinct,  and  finally  disappeared  in  the  drizzle,  in  a  form  as 
shadowy  as  that  of  some  unreal  image.  Gladly  would  he 
have  followed  in  her  wake,  had  he  dared ;  for  to  own  the  truth, 
the  prospect  of  another  stormy  night  in  the  midst  of  the  wild 
waters  that  were  raging  around  him,  brought  little  consola 
tion.  Still  he  had  too  much  professional  pride  to  betray  hia 
uneasiness,  and  those  under  his  care  relied  on  his  knowledge 
and  resources,  with  the  implicit  and  blind  confidence  that  the 
ignorant  are  apt  to  feel. 

A  few  hours  succeeded,  and  darkness  came  again  to  in 
crease  the  perils  of  the  Scud.  A  lull  in  the  gale,  however, 
had  induced  Cap  to  come  by  the  wind  once  more,  and  through 
out  the  night,  the  cutter  was  lying-to,  as  before,  head- 
reaching  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  occasionally  waring  to 
keep  off  the  land.  It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  on  the  inct- 


THE   PATHFINDER.  249 

dents  of  this  night,  which  resembled  those  of  any  other  gale 
of  wind.  There  were  the  pitching  of  the  vessel,  the  hissing 
of  the  waters,  the  dashing  of  spray,  the  shocks  that  menaced 
annihilation  to  the  little  craft  as  she  plunged  into  the  seas,  the 
undying  howling  of  the  wind,  and  the  fearful  drift.  The 
iast  was  the  most  serious  danger ;  for,  though  exceedingly 
weatherly  under  her  canvass,  and  totally  without  top-hamper, 
the  Scud  was  so  light,  that  the  combing  of  the  swells  would 
seem,  at  times,  to  wash  her  down  to  leeward,  with  a  velocity 
as  great  as  that  of  the  surges  themselves. 

During  this  night,  Cap  slept  soundly  and  for  several  hours. 
The  day  was  just  dawning,  when  he  felt  himself  shaken  by 
the  shoulder,  and  arousing  himself,  he  found  the  Pathfinder 
standing  at  his  side.  During  the  gale,  the  guide  had  ap 
peared  little  on  deck,  for  his  natural  modesty  told  him  that 
seamen  alone  should  interfere  with  the  management  of  the 
vessel ;  and  he  was  willing  to  show  the  same  reliance  on  those 
who  had  charge  of  the  Scud,  as  he  expected  those  who  fol 
lowed  through  the  forest  to  manifest  in  his  own  skill.  But 
he  now  thought  himself  justified  in  interfering,  which  he  did 
in  his  own  unsophisticated  and  peculiar  manner. 

"  Sleep  is  sweet,  Master  Cap,"  he  said,  as  soon  as  the  eyes 
of  the  latter  were  fairly  open,  and  his  consciousness  had  suf 
ficiently  returned — "  Sleep  is  sweet,  as  I  know  from  expe 
rience,  but  life  is  sweeter  still.  Look  about  you,  and  say  if 
this  is  exactly  the  moment  for  a  commander  to  be  off  his  feet." 

"How  now  —  how  now  —  Master  Pathfinder!"  growled 
Cap,  in  the  first  moments  of  his  awakened  faculties — "  Are 
you,  too,  getting  on  the  side  of  the  grumblers  ?  When  ashore, 
I  admired  your  sagacity  in  running  through  the  worst  shoals, 
without  a  compass,  and  since  we  have  been  afloat,  your 
meekness  and  submission  have  been  as  pleasant,  as  your 
confidence  on  your  own  ground ;  I  little  expected  such  a 
summons  from  you." 

"  As  for  myself,  Master  Cap,  I  feel  I  have  my  gifts,  and  I 
believe  they  '11  interfere  with  those  of  no  other  man ;  but  the 
case  may  be  different  with  Mabel  Dunham.  She  has  her  gifts, 
too,  it  is  true ;  but  they  are  not  rude  like  ours,  but  gentle,  and 
womanish,  as  they  ought  to  be.  It 's  on  her  account  tlifct  I 
speak,  and  not  on  my  own." 

"Ay — ay — I  begin  to  understand.    The  girl  is  a  good 


250  THE   PATHFINDER. 

girl,  my  worthy  friend,  but  she  is  a  soldier's  daughter  and  a 
Bailor's  niece,  and  ought  not  to  be  too  tame,  or  too  tender,  in 
a  gale.  Does  she  show  any  fear  ?" 

"  Not  she — not  she.  Mabel  is  a  woman,  but  she  is  rea 
sonable  and  silent.  Not  a  word  have  I  heard  from  her,  con 
cerning  our  doings ;  though  I  do  think,  Master  Cap,  she  would 
like  it  better,  if  Jasper  Eau-douce  were  put  into  his  proper 
place,  and  things  were  restored  to  their  old  situation,  like. 
This  is  human  natur'." 

"  I  '11  warrant  it ! — Girl-like,  and  Dunham-like,  too.  Any 
thing  is  better  than  an  old  uncle,  and  everybody  knows  more 
than  an  old  seaman !  This  is  human  natur',  Master  Path 
finder,  and  d e,  if  I  'm  the  man  to  sheer  a  fathom,  star 
board  or  port,  for  all  the  human  natur'  that  can  be  found  in 
a  minx  of  twenty — ay, — or" — lowering  his  voice  a  little — 
"  for  all  that  can  be  paraded  in  his  majesty's  55th  regiment 
of  foot.  I  've  not  been  at  sea  forty  years,  to  come  up  on  this 
bit  of  fresh- water  to  be  taught  human  natur'. — How  this  gale 
holds  out !  It  blows  as  hard,  at  this  moment,  as  if  Boreas 
had  just  clapped  his  hand  upon  the  bellows.  And  what  is  all 
this  to  leeward?"  rubbing  his  eyes — "land,  as  sure  as  my 
name  is  Cap  ; — and  high  land,  too  !" 

The  Pathfinder  made  no  immediate  answer,  but  shaking 
his  head,  he  watched  the  expression  of  his  companion's  face, 
with  a  look  of  strong  anxiety,  in  his  own. 

"  Land,  as  certain  as  this  is  the  Scud  !" — repeated  Cap — 
"  a  lee  shore,  and  that,  too,  within  a  league  of  us,  with  as 
pretty  a  line  of  breakers  as  one  could  find  on  the  beach  of 
all  Long  Island !" 

"And  is  that  encouraging,  or  is  jt  disheartening?"  de 
manded  the  Pathfinder. 

"  Ha  !  encouraging,  disheartening  ? — Why,  neither.  No, 
no — there  is  nothing  encouraging  about  it ;  and,  as  for  dis 
heartening,  nothing  ought  to  dishearten  a  seaman.  You 
never  get  disheartened  or  afraid  in  the  woods,  my  friend." 

"  I'll  not  say  that — I '11  not  say  that.  When  the  danger 
is  great,  it  is  my  gift  to  see  it,  and  know  it,  and  to  try  to 
avoid  it;  else  would  my  scalp,  long  since,  have  been  drying 
in  a  Mingo  wigwam.  On  this  lake,  however,  I  can  see  no 
trail,  and  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  submit ;  though  I  think  we 
ought  to  remember  there  is  such  a  person  as  Mabel  Dunham 


THE    PATHFINDER.  251 

en  board.    But  here  comes  her  father,  and  he  will  naturally 
feel  for  his  own  child." 

"  We  are  seriously  situated,  I  believe,  brother  Cap,"  said 
the  serjeant,  when  he  had  reached  the  spot,  "  by  what  I  can 
gather  from  the  two  hands  on  the  forecastle.  They  tell  mo 
the  cutter  cannot  carry  any  more  sail,  and  her  drift  is  so 
great  we  shall  go  ashore  in  an  hour  or  two.  I  hope  their 
fears  have  deceived  them  ?" 

Cap  made  no  reply,  but  he  gazed  at  the  land  with  a  rueful 
face,  and  then  looked  to  windward,  with  an  expression  of  fe 
rocity,  as  if  he  would  gladly  have  quarrelled  with  the  weather. 

"  It  may  be  well,  brother,"  the  serjeant  continued,  "  to 
send  for  Jasper  and  consult  him  as  to  what  is  to  be  done. 
There  are  no  French  here  to  dread,  and,  under  all  circum 
stances,  the  boy  will  save  us  from  drowning  if  possible." 

"  Ay — ay — 't  is  these  cursed  circumstances  that  have  done 
all  the  mischief!  But  let  the  fellow  come ;  let  him  come  ;  a 
few  well-managed  questions  will  bring  the  truth  out  of  him, 
I  '11  warrant  you." 

This  acquiescence  on  the  part  of  the  dogmatical  Cap  was 
no  sooner  obtained,  than  Jasper  was  sent  for.  The  young 
man  instantly  made  his  appearance,  his  whole  air,  counte 
nance  and  mien,  expressive  of  mortification,  humility,  and, 
as  his  observers  fancied,  rebuked  deception.  When  he  first 
stepped  on  deck,  Jasper  cast  one  hurried  anxious  glance 
around,  as  if  curious  to  know  the  situation  of  the  cutter;  and 
that  glance  sufficed,  it  would  seem,  to  let  him  into  the  secret 
of  all  her  perils.  At  first  he  looked  to  windward,  as  is  usual 
with  every  seaman ;  then  he  turned  round  the  horizon,  until 
his  eye  caught  a  view  of  the  highlands  to  leeward,  when  the 
whole  truth  burst  upon  him  at  once. 

"  I  've  sent  for  you,  Master  Jasper,"  said  Cap,  folding  his 
arms,  and  balancing  his  body  with  the  dignity  of  the  forecas 
tle,  "  in  order  to  learn  something  about  the  haven  to  leeward. 
We  take  it  for  granted,  you  do  not  bear  malice  so  hard,  as 
to  wish  to  drown  us  all,  especially  the  women  ;  and  I  suppose 
you  will  be  man  enough  to  help  us  to  run  the  cutter  into 
some  safe  berth,  until  this  bit  of  a  gale  has  done  blowing  ?" 

"  I  would  die  myself,  rather  than  harm  should  come  to 
Mabel  Dunham,"  the  young  man  earnestly  answered. 

"  I  knew  it ! — I  knew  it !"  cried  the  Pathfinder,  clapping 


252  THE    PATHFINDER. 

his  hand  kindly  on' Jasper's  shoulder.  "The  Tad  is  as  tito» 
as  the  best  compass  that  ever  run  a  boundary,  or  brought  a 
man  off  from  a  blind  trail !  It  is  a  moral  sin  to  believe 
otherwise." 

'*  Humph  !"  ejaculated  Cap,  "  especially  the  women  ! — As 
if  they  were  in  any  particular  danger.  Never  mind,  young 
man ;  we  shall  understand  each  other  by  talking  like  two 
plain  seamen.  Do  you  know  of  any  port  under  our  lee  ?" 

"  None.  There  is  a  large  bay  at  this  end  of  the  lake,  but 
it  is  unknown  to  us  all ;  and  not  easy  of  entrance." 

"  And  this  coast  to  leeward  —  it  has  nothing  particular  to 
recommend  it,  I  suppose  ?" 

"  It  is  a  wilderness  until  you  reach  the  mouth  of  the 
Niagara,  in  one  direction,  and  Frontenac  in  the  other.  North 
and  west,  they  tell  me,  there  is  nothing  but  forest  and  prairies, 
for  a  thousand  miles." 

"  Thank  God,  then,  there  can  be  no  French.  Are  there 
many  savages,  hereaway,  on  the  land  ?" 

"  The  Indians  are  to  be  found  in  all  directions ;  though 
they  are  nowhere  very  numerous.  By  accident,  we  might 
find  a  party  at  any  point  on  the  shore ;  or,  we  might  pass 
months  there,  without  seeing  one." 

"  We  must  take  our  chance,  then,  as  to  the  blackguards — 
but,  to  be  frank  with  you,  Master  Western — if  this  little  un 
pleasant  matter  about  the  French  had  not  come  to  pass,  what 
would  you  now  do  with  the  cutter  ?" 

"  I  am  a  much  younger  sailor  than  yourself,  Master  Cap," 
said  Jasper,  modestly,  "  and  am  hardly  fitted  to  advise  you." 

"  Ay — ay — we  all  know  that.  In  a  common  case,  per 
haps  not.  But  this  is  an  uncommon  case,  and  a  circumstance ; 
and  on  this  bit  of  fresh-water,  it  has  what  may  be  called, 
its  peculiarities  ;  and  so,  every  thing  considered,  you  may  be 
fitted  to  advise  even  your  own  father.  At  all  events,  you  can 
speak,  and  I  can  judge  of  your  opinions,  agreeably  to  my 
own  experience." 

"  I  think,  sir,  before  two  hours  are  over,  the  cutter  will 
have  to  anchor.7* 

"  Anchor !  —  not  out  here,  in  the  lake  ?" 

"  No,  sir ;  but  in  yonder,  near  the  land." 

»'  You  do  not  mean  to  say,  Master  Eau-deuce,  you  would 
anchor  on  a  lee  shore,  in  a  gale  of  wind  !" 


THE   PATHFINDER.  253 

"  If  I  would  save  my  vessel,  that  is  exactly  what  I  would 
do,  Master  Cap." 

"  Whe— e — >e — w ! — this  is  fresh-water,  with  a  vengeance. 
Harkee,  young  man,  1  Ve  been  a  seafaring  animal,  boy  and 
man,  forty-one  years,  and  I  never  yet  heard  of  such  a  thing. 
I  'd  throw  my  ground-tackle  overboard,  before  I  would  be 
guilty  of  so  lubberly  an  act !" 

"That  is  what  we  do,  on  this  lake,"  modestly  replied 
Jasper,  "  when  We  are  hard  pressed.  I  dare  say,  we  might 
do  better,  had  we  been  better  taught." 

"  That  you  might  indeed  !  No ;  no  man  induces  me  to 
commit  such  a  sin  against  my  own  bringing  up.  I  should 
never  dare  show  my  face  inside  of  Sandy  Hook  again, 
had  I  committed  so  know-nothing  an  exploit.  Why,  Path 
finder,  here,  has  more  seamanship  in  him  than  that  comes  to. 
You  can  go  below,  again,  Master  Eau-deuce." 

Jasper  quietly  bowed  and  withdrew;  still,  as  he  passed 
down  the  ladder,  the  spectators  observed  that  he  cast  a  linger 
ing,  anxious  look  at  the  horizon  to  windward,  and  the  land 
to  leeward,  and  then  disappeared  with  concern  strongly  ex 
pressed  in  every  lineament  of  his  face. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

"His  still  refuted  quirks  he  still  repeats; 
New  raised  objections  with  new  quibbles  meets, 
Till  sinking  in  the  quicksand  he  defends, 
He  dies  disputing1,  and  the  contest  ends." 

COWPER 

As  the  soldier's  wife  was  sick  in  her  berth,  Mabel  Dunham 
was  the  only  person  in  the  outer  cabin,  when  Jasper  returned 
to  it ;  for,  by  an  act  of  grace  in  the  serjeant,  he  had  been 
permitted  to  resume  his  proper  place,  in  this  part  of  the 
vessel.  We  should  be  ascribing  too  much  simplicity  of 
character  to  our  heroine,  if  we  said  that  she  had  felt  no  distrust 
22 


254  THE   PATHFINDER, 

of  the  young  man,  in  consequence  of  his  arrest ;  but  wo 
should  also  be  doing  injustice  to  her  warmth  of  feeling,  and 
generosity  of  disposition,  if  we  did  not  add,  that  this  distrust 
was  insignificant  and  transient.  As  he  now  took  his  seat 
near  her,  his  whole  countenance  clouded  with  the  uneasiness 
he  felt  concerning  the  situation  of  the  cutter,  everything 
like  suspicion  was  banished  from  her  mind,  and  she  saw  in 
him  only  an  injured  man. 

"  You  let  this  affair  weigh  too  heavily  on  your  mind,  Jas 
per,"  she  said,  eagerly,  or  with  that  forgetfulness  of  self, 
with  which  the  youthful  of  her  sex  are  wont  to  betray  their 
feelings,  when  a  strong  and  generous  interest  has  attained 
the  ascendency  —  "  no  one,  who  knows  you,  can,  or  does, 
believe  you  guilty.  Pathfinder  says  he  will  pledge  his  life 
for  you." 

"  Then  you,  Mabel,"  returned  the  youth,  his  eyes  flashing 
fire,  "  do  not  look  upon  me,  as  the  traitor  that  your  father 
seems  to  believe  me  to  be  ?" 

"  My  dear  father  is  a  soldier,  and  is  obliged  to  act  as  one. 
My  father's  daughter  is  not,  and  will  think  of  you,  as  she 
ought  to  think  of  a  man  who  has  done  so  much  to  serve  her 
already." 

"  Mabel — I  'm  not  used  to  talking  with  one  like  you — or, 
saying  all  I  think  and  feel  with  any.  I  never  had  a  sister, 
and  my  mother  died  when  I  was  a  child,  so  that  I  know  little 
what  your  sex  most  likes  to  hear — " 

Mabel  would  have  given  the  world  to  know  what  lay  be 
hind  the  teeming  word,  at  which  Jasper  hesitated ;  but  the 
indefinable  and  controlling  sense  of  womanly  diffidence  made 
her  suppress  her  womanly  curiosity.  She  waited  in  silence 
for  him  to  explain  his  own  meaning. 

"  I  wish  to  say,  Mabel,"  the  young  man  continued,  after  a 
pause  which  he  found  sufficiently  embarrassing,  "  that  I  am 
unused  to  the  ways  and  opinions  of  one  like  you,  and  that 
you  must  imagine  all  I  would  add." 

Mabel  had  imagination  enough  to  fancy  anything,  but 
there  are  ideas  and  feelings  that  her  sex  prefer  to  have  ex 
pressed,  before  they  yield  them  all  their  own  sympathies, 
and  she  had  a  vague  consciousness  that  these  of  Jasper's 
might  properly  be  enumerated  in  the  class ;  with  a  readiness 
that  belonged  to  her  sex,  therefore  she  preferred  changing 


THE   PATHFINDER.  255 

the  discourse  to  permitting  it  to  proceed  any  further,  m  a 
manner  so  awkward  and  so  unsatisfactory. 

"  Tell  me  one  thing,  Jasper,  and  I  shall  be  content,"  she 
said,  speaking  now  with  a  firmness  that  denoted  confidence  not 
only  in  herself,  but  in  her  companion — "  you  do  not  deserve 
this  cruel  suspicion  which  rests  upon  you  ?" 

"  I  do  not,  Mabel,"  answered  Jasper,  looking  into  her  full 
blue  eyes,  with  an  openness  and  simplicity  that  might  have 
shaken  strong  distrust.  "  As  I  hope  for  mercy,  hereafter,  ] 
do  not." 

"  I  knew  it — I  could  have  sworn  it,"  returned  the  girl, 
warmly.  "  And  yet  my  father  means  well :  but  do  not  let 
this  matter  disturb  you,  Jasper." 

"  There  is  so  much  more  to  apprehend  from  another  quar 
ter,  just  now,  that  I  scarce  think  of  it." 

"  Jasper !" 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  alarm  you,  Mabel,  but  if  your  uncle 
could  be  persuaded  to  change  his  notions  about  handling  the 
Scud — and  yet,  he  is  so  much  older,  and  more  experienced 
than  I  am,  that  he  ought,  perhaps,  to  place  more  reliance  on 
his  own  judgment  than  on  mine." 

"  Do  you  think  the  cutter  in  any  danger  ?"  demanded  Ma- 
bel,  quick  as  thought. 

"  I  fear  so — at  least  she  would  have  been  thought  in  great 
danger,  by  us  of  the  lake ;  perhaps  an  old  seaman  of  the 
ocean  may  have  means  of  his  own  to  take  care  of  her." 

"  Jasper,  all  agree  in  giving  you  credit  for  skill  in  manag 
ing  the  Scud !  You  know  the  lake,  you  know  the  cutter — 
you  must  be  the  best  judge  of  our  real  situation  !" 

"  My  concern  for  you,  Mabel,  may  make  me  more  cow 
ardly  than  common ;  but,  to  be  frank,  I  see  but  one  method 
of  keeping  the  cutter  from  being  wrecked  in  the  course  of 
the  next  two  or  three  hours,  and  that  your  uncle  refuses  to 
take.  After  all,  this  may  be  my  ignorance ;  for,  as  he  says, 
Ontario  is  merely  fresh-water." 

"  You  cannot  believe  this  will  make  any  difference.  Think 
of  my  dear  father,  Jasper ! — Think  of  yourself,  of  all  the  lives 
that  depend  on  a  timely  word  from  you  to  save  them !" 

"  I  think  of  you,  Mabel,  and  that  is  more,  much  more, 
than  all  the  rest  put  together,"  returned  the  young  man.  with 


266  THE   PATHFINDER. 

a  strength  of  expression  and  an  earnestness  of  look,  that  uttered 
infinitely  more  than  the  words  themselves. 

Mabel's  heart  beat  quick,  and  a  gleam  of  grateful  satis 
faction  shot  across  her  blushing  features ;  but  the  alarm  was 
too  vivid  and  too  serious  to  admit  of  much  relief  from  happier 
thoughts.  She  did  not  attempt  to  repress  a  look  of  gratitude, 
and  then  she  returned  to  the  feeling  that  was  naturally  upper* 
most. 

"  My  uncle's  obstinacy  must  not  be  permitted  to  occasion 
this  disaster.  Go  once  more  on  deck,  Jasper,  and  ask  my 
father  to  come  into  the  cabin." 

While  the  young  man  was  complying  with  this  request, 
Mabel  sat  listening  to  the  howling  of  the  storm,  and  the  dash 
ing  of  the  water  against  the  cutter,  in  a  dread  to  which  she 
had  hitherto  been  a  stranger.  Constitutionally  an  excellent 
sailor,  as  the  term  is  used  among  passengers,  she  had  not, 
hitherto,  bethought  her  of  any  danger,  and  had  passed  her 
time,  since  the  commencement  of  the  gale,  in  such  womanly 
employments,  as  her  situation  allowed ;  but  now  alarm  was 
seriously  awakened,  she  did  not  fail  to  perceive,  that  never 
before  had  she  been  on  the  water  in  such  a  tempest.  The 
minute  or  two  that  elapsed  ere  the  serjeant  came  appeared 
an  hour,  and  she  scarcely  breathed  when  she  saw  him  and 
Jasper  descending  the  ladder  in  company.  Quick  as  lan 
guage  could  express  her  meaning,  she  acquainted  her  father 
with  Jasper's  opinion  of  their  situation,  and  entreated  him,  if 
he  loved  her,  or  had  any  regard  for  his  own  life,  or  for  those 
of  his  men,  to  interfere  with  her  uncle,  and  to  induce  him 
to  yield  the  control  of  the  cutter,  again,  to  its  proper  com 
mander. 

"  Jasper  is  true,  father,"  she  added  earnestly,  "  and  if  false, 
he  could  have  no  motive  in  wrecking  us  in  this  distant  part 
of  the  lake,  at  the  risk  of  all  our  lives,  his  own  included. 
I  will  pledge  my  own  life  for  his  truth." 

"  Ay,  this  is  well  enough  for  a  young  woman  who  is  fright 
ened,"  answered  the  more  phlegmatic  parent ;  "  but  it  might 
not  be  so  prudent,  or  excusable  in  one  in  command  of  an  ex 
pedition.  Jasper  may  think  the  chance  of  drowning  in  get 
ting  ashore,  fully  repaid  by  the  chance  of  escaping  as  soon 
as  he  reaches  the  land." 

"  Serjeant  Dunham !" 


THE  PATHFINDER.  257 

"Father!" 

j  These  exclamations  were  made  simultaneously,  but  the) 
were  uttered  in  tones  expressive  of  different  feelings.  In  Jas 
per,  surprise  was  the  emotion  uppermost ;  in  Mabel,  reproach. 
The  old  soldier,  however,  was  too  much  accustomed  to  deal 
frankly  with  subordinates  to  heed  either ;  and,  after  a  mo 
ment's  thought,  he  continued,  as  if  neither  had  spoken. 

"  Nor  is  brother  Cap  a  man  likely  to  submit  to  be  taught 
his  duty  on  board  a  vessel." 

"  But,  father,  when  all  our  lives  are  in  the  utmost  jeo 
pardy  !" 

"  So  much  the  worse.  The  fair-weather  commander  is  no 
great  matter ;  it  is  when  things  go  wrong,  that  the  best  officer 
shows  himself  in  his  true  colours.  Charles  Cap  will  not  be 
likely  to  quit  the  helm  because  the  ship  is  in  danger.  Besides, 
Jasper  Eau-douce,  he  says,  your  proposal,  in  itself,  has  a  sus 
picious  air  about  it,  and  sounds  more  like  treachery  than  rea 
son." 

"  He  may  think  so,  but  let  him  send  for  the  pilot,  and  hear 
his  opinion.  It  is  well  known,  I  have  not  seen  the  man  since 
yesterday  evening." 

"  This  does  sound  reasonably,  and  the  experiment  shall  be 
tried.  Follow  me  on  deck,  then,  that  all  may  be  honest  and 
above-board." 

Jasper  obeyed,  and  so  keen  was  the  interest  of  Mabel,  that 
she,  too,  ventured  as  far  as  the  companion-way,  where  her 
garments  were  sufficiently  protected  against  the  violence  of 
the  wind,  and  her  person  from  the  spray.  Here  maiden  mo 
desty  induced  her  to  remain,  though  an  absorbed  witness 
what  was  passing. 

The  pilot  soon  appeared,  and  there  was  no  mistaking  the 
look  of  concern  that  he  cast  around  at  the  scene,  as  soon  as 
he  was  in  the  open  air.  Some  rumours  of  the  situation  of 
the  Scud  had  found  their  way  below,  it  is  true ;  but,  in  this 
instance,  rumour  had  lessened,  instead  of  magnifying  the  dan 
ger.  He  was  allowed  a  few  minutes  to  look  about  him,  and 
then  the  question  was  put  as  to  the  course  that  he  thought  it 
prudent  to  follow. 

"  I  see  no  means  of  saving  the  cutter  but  to  anchor,  '  he 
answered  simply,  and  without  hesitation. 
22* 


i 
- 


258  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  What,  out  here,  in  the  lake  ?"  inquired  Cap,  as  he  had 
previously  done  of  Jasper. 

"  No — but  closer  in ;  just  at  the  outer  line  of  the  break 
ers." 

The  effect  of  this  communication  was  to  leave  no  doubt,  in 
the  mind  of  Cap,  that  there  was  a  secret  arrangement,  between 
her  commander  and  the  pilot,  to  cast  away  the  Scud ;  most 
probably  with  the  hope  of  effecting  their  escape.  He  conse 
quently  treated  the  opinion  of  the  latter  with  the  indifference 
he  had  manifested  towards  that  of  the  former. 

"  I  tell  you,  brother  Dunham,"  he  said,  in  answer  to  the 
remonstrances  of  the  Serjeant  against  his  turning  a  deaf  ear 
to  this  double  representation,  "  that  no  seaman  would  give 
such  an  opinion  honestly.  To  anchor  on  a  lee  shore,  in  a 
gale  of  wind,  would  be  an  act  of  madness  that  I  could  never 
excuse  to  the  underwriters,  under  any  circumstances,  as  long 
as  a  rag  can  be  set — but  to  anchor  close  to  breakers  would 
be  insanity." 

"  His  majesty  underwrites  the  Scud,  brother,  and  I  am  re 
sponsible  for  the  lives  of  my  command.  These  men  are  bet 
ter  acquainted  with  Lake  Ontario  than  we  can  possibly  bo 
and  I  do  think  their  telling  the  same  tale  entitles  them  to  somu 
credit." 

"  Uncle !"  said  Mabel,  earnestly, — but  a  gesture  from  Jas 
per  induced  the  girl  to  restrain  her  feelings. 

"  We  are  drifting  down  upon  the  breakers  so  rapidly,"  said 
the  young  man,  "  that  little  need  be  said  on  the  subject.  Half 
an  hour  must  settle  the  matter,  one  way  or  the  other ;  but  1 
warn  Master  Cap  that  the  surest-footed  man  among  us  will 
not  be  able  to  keep  his  feet  an  instant  on  the  deck  of  this  lo\v 
craft,  should  she  fairly  get  within  them.  Indeed,  I  make  lit 
tle  doubt  that  we  shall  fill  and  founder  before  the  second  line 
of  rollers  is  passed !" 

"  And  how  would  anchoring  help  the  matter!"  demanded 
Cap,  furiously,  as  if  he  felt  that  Jasper  was  responsible  lor 
the  effects  of  the  gale,  as  well  as  for  the  opinion  he  had  just 
given. 

"  It  would  at  least  do  no  harm,"  Eau-douce  mildly  replied. 
"  By  bringing  the  cutter  head  to  sea  we  should  lessen  her 
drift;  and  even  if  we  dragged  through  the  breakers,  it  would 
be  with  the  least  possible  danger.  I  hope,  Master  Cap,  you 


THE   PATHFINDER.  259 

will  allow  the  pilot  and  myself  to  prepare  for  anchoring, 
since  the  precaution  may  do  good,  and  can  do  no  harm." 

"  Overhaul  your  ranges  if  you  will,  and  get  your  anchors 
clear,  with  all  my  heart.  We  are  now  in  a  situation  that 
cannot  be  much  affected  by  anything  of  that  sort.  Serjeant, 
a  word  with  you,  aft  here,  if  you  please." 

Cap  led  his  brother-in-law  out  of  ear-shot ;  and  then,  with 
more  of  human  feeling  in  his  voice  and  manner  than  he  was 
apt  to  exhibit,  he  opened  his  heart  on  the  subject  of  their  real 
situation. 

"  This  is  a  melancholy  affair  for  poor  Mabel,"  he  said, 
blowing  his  nose,  and  speaking  with  a  slight  tremour — "  You 
and  I,  serjeant,  are  old  fellows,  and  used  to  being  near  death, 
if  not  to  actually  dying.  Our  trades  fit  us  for  such  scenes  ; 
but  poor  Mabel,  she  is  an  affectionate  and  kind-hearted  girl, 
and  I  had  hoped  to  see  her  comfortably  settled  and  a  mother, 
before  my  time  came.  Well,  well ;  we  must  take  the  bad 
with  the  good,  in  every  v'y'ge,  and  the  only  serious  objection 
that  an  old  sea-faring  man  can  with  propriety  make  to  such 
an  event,  is  that  it  should  happen  on  this  bit  of  d d  fresh 
water." 

Serjeant  Dunham  was  a  brave  man,  and  had  shown  his 
spirit  in  scenes  that  looked  much  more  appalling  than  this. 
But,  on  all  such  occasions,  he  had  been  able  to  act  his  part 
against  his  foes,  while  here  he  was  pressed  upon  by  an  ene 
my  whom  he  had  no  means  of  resisting.  For  himself,  he 
cared  far  less,  than  for  his  daughter ;  feeling  some  of  that 
self-reliance  which  seldom  deserts  a  man  of  firmness,  who  is 
in  vigorous  health,  and  who  I*e.s  been  accustomed  to  personal 
exertions; -in  moments  of  jeopardy.  But,  as  respects  Mabel, 
he  saw  no  means  of  escape,  and  with  a  father's  fondness  he 
at  once  determined  that,  if  either  was  doomed  to  perish,  he 
and  his  daughter  must  perish  together. 

«*  Do  you  think  this  must  come  to  pass  ?"  he  asked  of  Cap, 
firmly,  but  with  strong  feeling. 

*'  Twenty  minutes  will  carry  us  into  the  breakers,  and, 
look  for  yourself,  serjeant,  what  chance  will  even  the  stoutest 
man  among  us  have  in  that  caldron  to  leeward !" 

The  prospect  was,  indeed,  little  calculated  to  encourage 
hope.  By  this  time  the  Scud  was  within  a  mile  of  the  shore, 
en  which  the  gale  was  blowing  at  right  angles,  with  a  vio- 


260  THE  PATHFINDER. 

lence  that  forbade  the  idea  of  showing  any  additional  can* 
vass,  with  a  view  to  claw  off.  The  small  portion  of  the 
mainsail  that  was  actually  set,  and  which  merely  served  to 
keep  the  head  of  the  Scud  so  near  the  wind  as  to  prevent  the 
waves  from  breaking  over  her,  quivered  under  the  gusts,  as 
if,  at  each  moment,  the  stout  threads  which  held  the  compli 
cated  fabric  together,  were  about  to  be  torn  asunder.  The 
drizzle  had  ceased ;  but  the  air,  for  a  hundred  feet  above  the 
surface  of  the  lake,  was  filled  with  dazzling  spray,  which 
had  an  appearance  not  unlike  that  of  a  brilliant  mist,  while 
above  all,  the  sun  was  shining  gloriously,  in  a  cloudless  sky. 
Jasper  had  noted  the  omen ;  and  had  foretold  that  it  an 
nounced  a  speedy  termination  to  the  gale,  though  the  next 
hour  or  two  must  decide  their  fate.  Between  the  cutter  and 
the  shore,  the  view  was  still  more  wild  and  appalling.  The 
breakers  extended  near  a  half  a  mile ;  while  the  water  within 
their  line  was  white  with  foam,  the  air  above  them  was  so  far 
filled  with  vapour  and  spray,  as  to  render  the  land  beyond  hazy 
and  indistinct.  Still  it  could  be  seen  that  the  latter  was  high ; 
not  a  usual  thing  for  the  shores  of  Ontario ;  and  that  it  was 
covered  with  the  verdant  mantle  of  the  interminable  forest. 

While  the  serjeant  and  Cap  were  gazing  at  this  scene,  in 
silence,  Jasper  and  his  people  were  actively  engaged  on  the 
forecastle.  No  sooner  had  the  young  man  received  permis 
sion  to  resume  his  old  employment,  than  appealing  to  some 
of  the  soldiers  for  aid,  he  mustered  five  or  six  assistants,  and 
set  about  in  earnest,  the  performance  of  a  duty  that  had  been 
too  long  delayed.  On  these  narrow  waters,  anchors  are 
never  stowed  in-board,  or  cabfes  that  are  intended  for  service 
unbent,  and  Jasper  was  saved*much  of  the  labour  that  would 
have  been  necessary  in  a  vessel  at  sea.  The  two  bowers 
were  soon  ready  to  be  let  go,  ranges  of  the  cables  were  over 
hauled,  and  then  the  party  paused  to  look  about  them. 
No  changes  for  the  better  had  occurred ;  but  the  cutter  was 
falling  slowly  in,  and  each  instant  rendered  it  more  certain 
that  she  could  not  gain  an  inch  to  windward. 

One  long,  earnest  survey  of  the  lake  ended,  Jasper  gave 
new  orders  in  a  manner  to  prove  how  much  he  thought 
that  the  time  pressed.  Two  kedges  were  got  on  deck,  and 
hawsers  were  bent  to  them  ;  the  inner  ends  of  the  hawsers 
were  bent,  in  their  turns,  to  the  crowns  of  the  anchors,  and 


THE   PATHFINDER.  261 

everything  was  got  ready  to  throw  them  overboard,  at  the 
proper  moment.  These  preparations  completed,  Jasper's 
manner  changed  from  the  excitement  of  exertion,  to  a  look 
of  calm,  but  settled,  concern.  He  quitted  the  forecastle, 
where  the  seas  were  dashing  inboard,  at  every  plunge  of 
the  vessel ;  the  duty  just  mentioned  having  been  executed 
with  the  bodies  of  the  crew  frequently  buried  in  the  water, 
and  walked  to  a  drier  part  of  the  deck,  aft.  Here  he  was 
met  by  the  Pathfinder,  who  was  standing  near  Mabel  and  the 
Quarter-Master.  Most  of  those  on  board,  with  the  exception 
of  the  individuals  who  have  already  been  particularly  men 
tioned,  were  below,  some  seeking  relief  from  physical  suffer 
ing  on  their  pallets ;  and  others  tardily  bethinking  them  of 
their  sins.  For  the  first  time,  most  probably,  since  her  keel 
had  dipped  into  the  limpid  waters  of  Ontario,  the  voice  of 
prayer  was  heard  on  board  the  Scud. 

"  Jasper,"  commenced  his  friend,  the  guide,  "  I  have  been 
of  no  use  this  morning,  for  my  gifts  are  of  little  account,  as 
you  know,  in  a  vessel  like  this ;  but,  should  it  please  God  to 
let  the  Serjeant's  daughter  reach  the  shore,  alive,  my  ac 
quaintance  with  the  forest  may  still  carry  her  through  in 
safety  to  the  garrison." 

"  'Tis  a  fearful  distance  thither,  Pathfinder !"  Mabel  re- 
joined,  the  party  being  so  near  together  that  all  that  was 
said  by  one,  was  overheard  by  the  others.  "  I  am  afraid  none 
of  us  could  live  to  reach  the  fort." 

"  It  would  be  a  risky  path,  Mabel,  and  a  crooked  one ; 
though  some  of  your  sex  have  undergone  even  more  than 
that,  in  this  wilderness.  But,  Jasper,  either  you  or  I,  or 
both  of  us,  must  man  this  bark  canoe ;  Mabel's  only  chance 
will  lie  in  getting  through  the  breakers  in  that." 

"  I  would  willingly  man  any  thing  to  save  Mabel,"  an 
swered-  Jasper,  with  a  melancholy  smile ;  "  but  no  human 
hand,  Pathfinder,  could  carry  that  canoe  through  yonder 
breakers,  in  a  gale  like  this.  I  have  hopes  from  anchoring, 
after  all ;  for,  once  before,  have  we  saved  the  Scud  in  an 
extremity  nearly  as  great  as  this." 

"  If  we  are  to  anchor,  Jasper,"  the  serjeant  inquired, 
"  why  not  do  it  at  once  ?  Every  foot  we  lose  in  drifting 
now,  would  come  into  the  distance  we  shall  probably  drag, 
when  the  anchors  are  let  go." 


262  THE   PATHFINDER. 

Jasper  drew  nearer  to  the  serjeant,  and  took  his  hand, 
pressing  it  earnestly,  and  in  a  way  to  denote  strong,  almost 
uncontrollable  feelings. 

"  Serjeant  Dunham,"  he  said,  solemnly,  "  you  are  a  good 
man,  though  you  have  treated  me  harshly  in  this  business. 
You  love  your  daughter  ?" 

"  That  you  cannot  doubt,  Eau-douce,"  returned  the  ser 
jeant,  huskily. 

"Will  you  give  her — give  us  all,  the  only  chance  for 
life,  that  is  left  ?" 

"  What  would  you  have  me  do,  boy ;  what  would  you 
have  me  do  ?  I  have  acted  according  to  my  judgment,  hitherto 
— what  would  you  have  me  do  ?" 

"  Support  me  against  Master  Cap,  for  five  minutes,  and  all 
that  man  can  do,  towards  saving  the  Scud,  shall  be  done." 

The  serjeant  hesitated,  for  he  was  too  much  of  a  discipli 
narian  to  fly  in  the  face  of  regular  orders.  He  disliked  the 
appearance  of  vacillation,  too ;  and  then  he  had  a  profound 
respect  for  his  kinsman's  seamanship.  While  he  was  de 
liberating,  Cap  came  from  the  post  he  had  some  time  occu 
pied,  which  was  at  the  side  of  the  man  at  the  helm,  and  drew 
nigh  the  group. 

"  Master  Eau-deuce,"  he  said,  as  soon  as  near  enough  to 
be  heard,  "  I  have  come  to  inquire,  if  you  know  any  spot 
near  by,  where  this  cutter  can  be  beached  ?  The  moment 
has  arrived  when  we  are  driven  to  this  hard  alternative  ?" 

That  instant  of  indecision  on  the  part  of  Cap,  secured  the 
triumph  of  Jasper.  Looking  at  the  serjeant,  the  young  man 
received  a  nod  that  assured  him  of  all  he  asked,  and  he  lost 
not  one  of  those  moments  that  were  getting  to  be  so  very 
precious. 

"  Shall  I  take  the  helm  ?"  he  inquired  of  Cap,  "  and  see  if 
we  can  reach  a  creek  that  lies  to  leeward  ?" 

"  Do  so — do  so — "  said  the  other,  hemming  to  clear  his 
throat,  for  he  felt  oppressed  by  a  responsibility  that  weighed 
all  the  heavier  on  his  shoulders,  on  account  of  his  ignorance. 
"  Do  so,  Eau-deuce,  since,  to  be  frank  with  you,  I  can  sec 
nothing  better  to  be  done.  We  must  beach,  or  swamp !" 

Jasper  required  no  more ;  springing  aft,  he  soon  had  the 
tiller  in  his  own  hands.  The  pilot  was  prepared  for  what 
was  to  follow,  and,  at  a  sign  from  his  young  commander,  the 


THE    PATHFINDER.  263 

rag  of  sail  that  had  so  long  been  set  was  taken  in.  At  that 
moment,  Jasper,  watching  his  time,  put  the  helm  up,  the  head 
of  a  staysail  was  loosened  forward,  and  the  light  cutter,  as 
if  conscious  she  was  now  under  the  control  of  familiar  hands, 
fell  off,  and  was  .s  jo?,  in  the  trough  of  the  sea.  This  perilous 
instant  was  passed  in  safety,  and  at  the  next  moment,  the 
little  vessel  appeared  flying  down  toward  the  breakers,  at  a 
rate  that  threatened  instant  destruction.  The  distances  had 
got  to  be  so  short,  that  five  or  six  minutes  sufficed  for  all  that 
Jasper  wished,  and  he  put  the  helm  down  again,  when  the 
bows  of  the  Scud  came  up  to  the  wind,  notwithstanding  the 
turbulence  of  the  waters,  as  gracefully  as  the  duck  varies  its 
line  of  direction  on  the  glassy  pond.  A  sign  from  Jasper  set 
all  in  motion  on  the  forecastle,  and  a  kedge  was  thrown  from 
each  bow.  The  fearful  nature  of  the  drift  was  now  apparent 
even  to  Mabel's  eyes,  for  the  two  hawsers  ran  out  like  tow- 
lines.  As  soon  as  they  straightened  to  a  slight  strain,  both 
anchors  were  let  go,  and  cable  was  given  to  each,  nearly  to 
the  better-ends.  It  was  not  a  difficult  task  to  snub  so  light  a 
craft,  with  ground-tackle  of  a  quality  better  than  common  ; 
and  in  less  than  ten  minutes  from  the  moment  when  Jasper 
went  to  the  helm,  the  Scud  was  riding,  head  to  sea,  with 
the  two  cables  stretched  ahead  in  lines  that  resembled  bars 
of  iron. 

"  This  is  not  well  done,  Master  Jasper !"  angrily  exclaimed 
Cap,  as  soon  as  he  perceived  the  trick  that  had  been  played 
him — "  this  is  not  well  done,  sir ;  I  order  you  to  cut,  and  to 
beach  the  cutter,  without  a  moment's  delay." 

No  one,  however,  seemed  disposed  to  comply  with  this 
order,  for  so  long  as  Eau-douce  saw  fit  to  command,  his  own 
people  were  disposed  to  obey.  Finding  that  the  men  re 
mained  passive,  Cap,  who  believed  they  were  in  the  utmost 
peril,  turned  fiercely  to  Jasper,  and  renewed  his  remon 
strances. 

"  You  did  not  head  for  your  pretended  creek,"  he  added, 
after  dealing  in  some  objurgatory  remarks  that  we  do  not 
deem  it  necessary  to  record,  "  but  steered  for  that  bluff,  where 
every  soul  on  board  would  have  been  drowned,  had  we  gone 
ashore !" 

"  And  you  wish  to  cut,  and  put  every  soul  ashore,  at  that 
very  spot !"  Jasper  retorted,  a  little  drily. 


264  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"  Throw  a  lead-line  overboard,  and  ascertain  the  drift — " 
Cap  now  roared  to  the  people  forward.  A  sign  from  Jasper 
sustaining  this  order,  it  was  instantly  obeyed.  All  on  deck 
gathered  round  the  spot,  and  watched,  with  nearly  breathless 
interest,  the  result  of  the  experiment.  The  lead  was  no 
sooner  on  the  bottom,  than  the  line  tended  forward,  and  in 
about  two  minutes  it  was  seen  that  the  cutter  had  drifted  her 
length,  dead  in  towards  the  bluff.  Jasper  looked  grave,  for 
he  well  know  nothing  would  hold  the  vessel  did  she  get  within 
the  vortex  of  the  breakers,  the  first  line  of  which  was  appear 
ing  and  disappearing  about  a  cable's  length  directly  under 
their  stern. 

"  Traitor !"  exclaimed  Cap,  shaking  a  finger  at  the  young 
commander,  though  passion  choked  the  rest.  "  You  must 
answer  for  this  with  your  life  !"  he  added  after  a  short  pause, 
"  If  I  were  at  the  head  of  this  expedition,  serjeant,  I  would 
hang  him  at  the  end  of  the  main-boom,  lest  he  escape 
drowning." 

"Moderate  your  feelings,  brother — be  more  moderate,  I 
beseech  you ;  Jasper  appears  to  have  done  all  for  the  best, 
and  matters  may  not  be  as  bad  as  you  believe  them." 

"  Why  did  he  not  run  for  the  creek,  he  mentioned — why 
has  he  brought  us  here,  dead  to  windward  of  that  bluff,  and 
to  a  spot  where  even  the  breakers  are  only  of  half  the  ordi 
nary  width,  as  if  in  a  hurry  to  drown  all  on  board  ?" 

"  I  headed  for  the  bluff,  for  the  precise  reason  that  the 
breakers  are  so  narrow  at  this  spot,"  answered  Jasper,  mildly, 
though  his  gorge  had  risen  at  the  language  the  other  held. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  an  old  seaman  like  me,  that  this  cut 
ter  could  live  in  those  breakers  7" 

"  I  do  not,  sir.  I  think  she  would  fill  and  swamp,  if  driven 
into  the  first  line  of  them — I  am  certain  she  would  never 
reach  the  shore  on  her  bottom,  if  fairly  entered.  I  hope  to 
keep  her  clear  of  them,  altogether." 

"  With  a  drift  of  her  length  in  a  minute !" 

"  The  backing  of  the  anchors  does  not  yet  fairly  tell,  nor 
do  I  even  hope  that  they  will  entirely  bring  her  up." 

"  On  what  then  do  you  rely  1  To  moor  a  craft,  head  and 
stern,  by  faith,  hope,  and  charity !" 

"  No,  sir — I  trust  to  the  under-tow.  I  headed  for  the  bluff, 
because  I  knew  that  it  was  stronger  at  that  point  than  at  any 


THE  PATHFINDER. 

other,  and  because  we  could  get  nearer  in  with  the  land  with- 
out  entering  the  breakers." 

This  was  said  with  spirit,  though  without  any  particular 
show  of  resentment.  Its  effect  on  Cap  was  marked,  the 
feeling  that  was  uppermost  being  evidently  that  of  surprise. 

"  Under-tow  !"  he  repeated — "  who  the  devil  ev£r  heard  of 
saving  a  vessel  from  going  ashore  by  the  under-tow !" 

"  This  may  never  happen  on  the  ocean,  sir,"  Jasper  an 
swered,  modestly,  "  but  we  have  known  it  to  happen  here." 

"  The  lad  is  right,  brother,"  put  in  the  serjeant;  "  for  though 
I  do  not  well  understand  it,  I  have  often  heard  the  sailors 
of  the  lake  speak  of  such  a  thing.  We  shall  do  well  to  trust 
to  Jasper,  in  this  strait." 

Cap  grumbled  and  swore,  but  as  there  was  no  remedy,  he  was 
compelled  to  acquiesce.  Jasper  being  now  called  on  to  ex 
plain  what  he  meant  by  the  under-tow,  gave  this  account  of 
the  matter.  The  water  that  was  driven  up  on  the  shore  by 
the  gale,  was  necessarily  compelled  to  find  its  level  by  return 
ing  to  the  lake  by  some  secret  channels.  This  could  not  be 
done  on  the  surface,  where  both  wind  and  waves  were  con 
stantly  urging  it  towards  the  land,  and  it  necessarily  formed 
a  sort  of  lower  eddy,  by  means  of  which  it  flowed  back  again 
to  its  ancient  and  proper  bed.  This  inferior  current  had  re 
ceived  the  name  of  the  under-tow  ;  and  as  it  would  necessa 
rily  act  on  the  bottom  of  a  vessel  that  drew  as  much  water 
as  the  Scud,  Jasper  trusted  to  the  aid  of  this  reaction  to  keep 
his  cables  from  parting.  In  short,  the  upper  and  lower  cur 
rents  would,  in  a  manner,  counteract  each  other. 

Simple  and  ingenious  as  was  this  theory,  however,  as  yet 
there  was  little  evidence  of  its  being  reduced  to  practice. 
The  drift  continued ;  though  as  the  kedges  and  hawsers  with 
which  the  anchors  were  backed,  took  the  strains,  it  became 
sensibly  less.  At  length  the  man  at  the  lead  announced  the 
joyful  intelligence,  that  the  anchors  had  ceased  to  drag, 
and  that  the  vessel  had  brought  up !  At  this  precise  moment, 
the  first  line  of  breakers  was  about  a  hundred  feet  astern  of 
the  Scud,  even  appearing  to  approach  much  nearer,  as  the 
foam  vanished  and  returned  on  the  raging  surges.  Jasper 
sprang  forward,  and  casting  a  glance  over  the  bows,  he 
smiled  in  triumph,  as  he  pointed  exultingly  to  the  cables.  In 
stead  of  resembling  bars  of  iron  in  rigidity,  as  before,  they 


266  THE    PATHFINDER. 

were  curving  downwards,  and  to  a  seamen's  senses,  it  was 
evident  that  the  cutter  rose  and  fell  on  the  seas  as  they  came 
in,  with  the  ease  of  a  ship  in  a  tides-way,  when  the  power  of 
the  wind  is  relieved  by  the  counteracting  pressure  of  the  water 

"'Tis  the  under-tow!"  he  exclaimed,  with  delight,  fairly 
bounding  along  the  deck  to  steady  the  helm,  in  order  that 
the  cutter  might  ride  still  easier — "  Providence  has  placed  us 
directly  in  its  current,  and  there  is  no  longer  any  danger !" 

"Ay-ay,  Providence  is  a  good  seaman" — growled  Cap, 
— "  and  often  helps  lubbers  out  of  difficulty.  Under  tow,  or 
upper  tow,  the  gale  has  abated,  and  fortunately  for  us  all,  the 
anchors  have  met  with  good  holding-ground.  Then  this 
d d  fresh-water  has  an  unnatural  way  with  it." 

Men  are  seldom  inclined  to  quarrel  with  good  fortune,  but 
i  is  in  distress  that  they  grow  clamorous  and  critical.  Most 
on  board  were  disposed  to  believe  that  they  had  been  saved 
from  shipwreck  by  the  skill  and  knowledge  of  Jasper,  with 
out  regarding  the  opinions  of  Cap,  whose  remarks  were  now 
little  heeded. 

There  was  half  an  hour  of  uncertainty  and  doubt,  it  is 
true,  during  which  period  the  lead  was  anxiously  watched ; 
and  then  a  feeling  of  security  came  over  all,  and  the  weary 
slept  without  dreaming  of  instant  death. 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 

**  It  is  to  be  all  made  of  sighs  and  tears ; — 
It  is  to  be  all  made  of  faith  and  service : — 
It  is  to  be  all  made  of  fantasy, — 
All  made  of  passion,  and  all  made  of  wishes : 
All  adoration,  duty,  and  observance ; 
All  humbleness,  all  patience,  and  impatience, 
All  purity,  all  trial,  all  observance." 

SHAKSPEARE. 

IT  was  near  noon  when  the  gale  broke ;  and  then  its  force 
abated  as  suddenly  as  its  violence  had  arisen.  In  less 
than  two  hours  after  the  wind  fell,  the  surface  of  the  lake, 
though  still  agitated,  was  no  longer  glittering  with  foam; 


THE   PATHFINDER.  267 

and  in  double  that  time,  the  entire  sheet  presented  the  ordi 
nary  scene  of  disturbed  water,  that  was  unbroken  by  the 
violence  of  a  tempest.  Still  the  waves  came  rolling  inces 
santly  towards  the  shore,  and  the  lines  of  breakers  remained, 
though  the  spray  had  ceased  to  fly:  the  combing  of  the 
swells  was  more  moderate,  and  all  that  there  was  of  violence 
proceeded  from  the  impulsion  of  wind  that  had  abated. 

As  it  was  impossible  to  make  head  against  the  sea  that 
was  still  up,  with  the  light  opposing  air  that  blew  from  the 
eastward,  all  thoughts  of  getting  under  way  that  afternoon 
were  abandoned.  Jasper,  who  had  now  quietly  resumed  the 
command  of  the  Scud,  busied  himself,  however,  in  heaving 
up  to  the  anchors,  which  were  lifted  in  succession.  The 
kedges  that  backed  them  were  weighed,  and  everything  was 
got  in  readiness  for  a  prompt  departure,  as  soon  as  the  state 
of  the  weather  would  allow.  In  the  meantime,  they  who 
had  no  concern  with  these  duties  sought  such  means  of 
amusement  as  their  peculiar  circumstances  allowed. 

As  is  common  with  those  who  are  unused  to  the  confine 
ment  of  a  vessel,  Mabel  cast  wistful  eyes  towards  the  shore ; 
nor  was  it  long  before  she  expressed  a  wish  that  it  were  pos 
sible  to  land.  The  Pathfinder  was  near  her  at  the  time,  and 
he  assured  her  that  nothing  would  be  easier,  as  they  had  a 
bark  canoe  on  deck,  which  was  the  best  possible  mode  of 
conveyance  to  go  through  a  surf.  After  the  usual  doubts 
and  misgivings,  the  serjeant  was  appealed  to : — his  opinion 
proved  to  be  favourable,  and  preparations  to  carry  the  whim 
into  effect  were  immediately  made. 

The  party  that  was  to  land,  consisted  of  Serjeant  Dunham, 
his  daughter  and  the  Pathfinder.  Accustomed  to  the  canoe, 
Mabel  took  her  seat  in  the  centre  with  great  steadiness,  her 
father  was  placed  in  the  bows,  while  the  guide  assumed  the 
office  of  conductor,  by  steering  in  the  stern.  There  was  lit 
tle  need  of  impelling  the  canoe  by  means  of  the  paddle,  for 
the  rollers  sent  it  forward,  at  moments,  with  a  violence  that 
set  every  effort  to  govern  its  movements  at  defiance.  More 
than  once,  ere  the  shore  was  reached,  Mabel  repented  of  her 
temerity,  but  Pathfinder  encouraged  her,  and  really  manifested 
so  much  self-possession,  coolness  and  strength  of  arm,  himself, 
that  even  a  female  might  have  hesitated  about  owning  all  her 
apprehensions.  Our  heroine  was  no  coward,  and  while  she 


268  THE    PATHFINDER. 

felt  the  novelty  of  her  situation,  in  landing  through  a  surf, 
she  also  experienced  a  fair  proportion  of  its  wild  delight.  At 
moments,  indeed,  her  heart  was  in  her  mouth,  as  the  bubble 
of  a  boat  floated  on  the  very  crest  of  a  foaming  breaker,  ap 
pearing  to  skim  the  water  like  a  swallow,  and  then  she  flushed 
and  laughed,  as,  left  by  the  glancing  element,  they  appeared 
?o  linger  behind,  as  if  ashamed  of  having  been  out-done  in 
the  headlong  race.  A  few  minutes  sufficed  for  this  excitement, 
for,  though  the  distance  between  the  cutter  and  the  land  con 
siderably  exceeded  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  the  intermediate  space 
was  passed  in  a  very  few  minutes. 

On  landing,  the  serjeant  kissed  his  daughter  kindly,  for  he 
was  so  much  of  a  soldier  as  always  to  feel  more  at  home,  on 
terra-firma,  than  when  afloat,  and  taking  his  gun,  he  an 
nounced  his  intention  to  pass  an  hour,  in  quest  of  game. 

"  Pathfinder  will  remain  near  you,  girl,  and  no  doubt  he 
will  tell  you  some  of  the  traditions  of  this  part  of  the  world, 
or  some  of  his  own  experiences  with  the  Mingos." 

The  guide  laughed,  promised  to  have  a  care  of  Mabel,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  the  father  had  ascended  a  steep  acclivity, 
and  disappeared  in  the  forest.  The  others  took  another  direc 
tion,  which,  after  a  few  minutes  of  a  sharp  ascent  also, 
brought  them  to  a  small  naked  point  on  the  promontory, 
where  the  eye  overlooked  an  extensive  and  very  peculiar  pa 
norama.  Here  Mabel  seated  herself  on  a  fragment  of  fallen 
rock,  to  recover  her  breath  and  strength,  while  her  companion, 
on  whose  sinews  no  personal  exertion  seemed  to  make  any 
impression,  stood  at  her  side,  leaning  in  his  own  and  not 
ungraceful  manner  on  his  long  rifle.  Several  minutes  passed, 
and  neither  spoke ;  Mabel,  in  particular,  being  lost  in  admi 
ration  of  the  view. 

The  position  the  two  had  obtained,  was  sufficiently  elevated 
to  command  a  wide  reach  of  the  lake,  which  stretched  away 
towards  the  north-east,  in  a  boundless  sheet,  glittering  beneath 
the  rays  of  an  afternoon's  sun,  and  yet  betraying  the  remains 
of  that  agitation  which  it  had  endured  while  tossed  by  the 
late  tempest.  The  land  set  bounds  to  its  limits,  in  a  huge 
crescent,  disappearing  in  distance  towards  the  south-east  and 
the  north.  Far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  nothing  but  forest 
was  visible,  not  even  a  solitary  sign  of  civilization  breaking 
in  upon  the  uniform  and  grand  magnificence  of  nature.  The 


THE   PATHFINDER.  269 

gale  had  driven  the  Scud  beyond  the  line  of  those  forts,  with 
which  the  French  were  then  endeavouring  to  gird  the  English 
North  American  possessions ;  for,  following  the  channels  of 
communication  between  the  great  lakes,  their  posts  were  on 
the  banks  of  the  Niagara,  while  our  adventurers  had  reached 
a  point  many  leagues  westward  of  that  celebrated  streight. 
The  cutter  rode  at  single  anchor,  without  the  breakers, 
resembling  some  well  imagined  and  accurately  executed  toy, 
that  was  intended  rather  for  a  glass  case,  than  for  the  strug 
gles  with  the  elements  which  she  had  so  lately  gone  through, 
while  the  canoe  lay  on  the  narrow  beach,  just  out  of  reach 
of  the  waves  that  came  booming  upon  the  land,  a  speck  upon 
the  shingles. 

"  We  are  very  far,  here,  from  human  habitations !"  ex 
claimed  Mabel,  when,  after  a  long  and  musing  survey  of  the 
scene,  its  principal  peculiarities  forced  themselves  on  her  ac 
tive  and  ever  brilliant  imagination ;  "  this  is  indeed  being  on 
a  frontier !" 

"  Have  they  more  sightly  scenes  than  this,  nearer  the  sea, 
and  around  their  large  towns  ?"  demanded  Pathfinder,  with 
an  interest  he  was  apt  to  discover  in  such  a  subject. 

"  I  will  not  say  that ;  there  is  more  to  remind  one  of  his 
fellow  beings,  there  than  here ;  less,  perhaps,  to  remind  one 
of  God." 

"  Ay,  Mabel,  that  is  what  my  own  feelings  say-  I  am 
but  a  poor  hunter,  I  know ;  untaught  and  unlarned ;  but  God 
is  as  near  me,  in  this  my  home,  as  he  is  near  the  king  in  his 
royal  palace." 

"  Who  can  doubt  it?" — returned  Mabel,  looking  from  the 
view  up  into  the  hard-featured  but  honest  face  of  her  com 
panion,  though  not  without  surprise  at  the  energy  of  his  man- 
ner — "  One  feels  nearer  to  God,  in  such  a  spot,  I  think,  than 
when  the  mind  is  distracted  by  the  objects  of  the  towns." 

"  You  say  all  I  wish  to  say  myself,  Mabel,  but  in  so  much 
plainer  speech,  that  you  make  me  ashamed  of  wishing  to  let 
others  know  what  I  feel  on  such  matters.  I  have  coasted 
this  lake,  in  search  of  skins,  afore  the  war,  and  have  been 
here  already ;  not  at  this  very  spot,  for  we  landed  yonder 
where  you  may  see  the  blasted  oak  that  stands  above  the 
cluster  of  hemlocks — " 
23* 


270  THE  PATHFINDER. 

"  How !  Pathfinder,  can  you  remember  all  these  trifles  so 
accurately !" 

"  These  are  our  streets  and  houses ;  our  churches  and 
palaces.  Remember  them,  indeed  !  I  once  made  an  appoint 
ment  with  the  Big  Sarpent,  to  meet  at  twelve  o'clock  at  noon, 
near  the  foot  of  a  certain  pine,  at  the  end  of  six  months, 
when  neither  of  us  was  within  three  hundred  miles  of  the 
spot.  The  tree  stood,  and  stands  still,  unless  the  judgment 
of  Providence  has  lighted  on  that  too,  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest,  fifty  miles  from  any  settlement,  but  in  a  most  extra 
ordinary  neighbourhood  for  beaver." 

"  And  did  you  meet  at  that  very  spot  and  hour !" 

"  Does  the  sun  rise  and  set  1  when  I  reached  the  tree,  I 
found  the  Sarpent  leaning  against  its  trunk,  with  torn  leg 
gings  and  muddied  moccasins.  The  Delaware  had  got  into 
a  swamp,  and  it  worried  him  not  a  little  to  find  his  way  out 
of  it ;  but,  as  the  sun  which  comes  over  the  eastern  hills  in  the 
morning,  goes  down  behind  the  western  at  night,  so  was  he 
true  to  time  and  place.  No  fear  of  Chingachgook  when 
there  is  either  a  friend  or  an  enemy  in  the  case.  He  is 
equally  sartain  with  each." 

"  And  where  is  the  Delaware  now — why  is  he  not  with  us 
to-day?" 

"  He  is  scouting  on  the  Mingo  trail,  where  I  ought  to  have 
been  too,  but  for  a  great  human  infirmity." 

"  You  seem  above,  beyond,  superior,  to  all  infirmity,  Path 
finder  ;  I  never  yet  met  with  a  man  who  appeared  to  be  so 
little  liable  to  the  weaknesses  of  nature." 

"  If  you  mean  in  the  way  of  health  and  strength,  Mabel, 
Providence  has  been  kind  to  me ;  though  I  fancy  the  open 
air,  long  hunts,  active  scoutings,  forest  fare,  and  the  sleep 
of  a  good  conscience,  may  always  keep  the  doctors  at  a  dis 
tance.  But  I  am  human,  after  all ;  yes,  I  find  I'm  very  hu 
man,  in  some  of  my  feelings." 

Mabel  looked  surprised,  and  it  would  be  no  more  than  de 
lineating  the  character  of  her  sex,  if  we  added  that,  her  sweet 
countenance  expressed  a  good  deal  of  curiosity,  too,  though 
her  tongue  was  more  discreet. 

"  There  is  something  bewitching  in  this  wild  life  of  yours, 
Pathfinder,"  she  exclaimed,  a  tinge  of  enthusiasm  mantling 
her  cheeks.  "  I  find  I  'm  fast  getting  to  be  a  frontier  girl, 


THE    PATHFINDER.  271 

and  am  coming  to  love  all  this  grand  silence  of  the  woods. 
The  towns  seem  tame  to  me,  and,  as  my  father  will  probably 
pass  the  remainder  of  his  days  here,  where  he  has  already 
lived  so  long,  I  begin  to  feel  that  I  should  be  happy  to  con 
tinue  with  him,  and  not  to  return  to  the  sea  shore." 

"  The  woods  are  never  silent,  Mabel,  to  such  as  under 
stand  their  meaning.  Days  at  a  time,  have  I  travelled  them 
alone,  without  feeling  the  want  of  company;  and,  as  for  con 
versation,  for  such  as  can  comprehend  their  language,  there 
is  no  want  of  rational  and  instructive  discourse." 

'*  I  believe  you  are  happier  when  alone,  Pathfinder,  than 
when  mingling  with  your  fellow-creatures." 

"  I  will  not  say  that — I  will  not  say  exactly  that !  I  have 
seen  the  time  when  I  have  thought  that  God  was  sufficient 
for  me  in  the  forest,  and  that  I  craved  no  more  than  his  boun 
ty  and  his  care.  But  other  feelings  have  got  uppermost,  and 
I  suppose  natur'  will  have  its  way. — All  other  creatur's 
mate,  Mabel,  and  it  was  intended  man  should  do  so,  too." 

"  And  have  you  never  bethought  you  of  seeking  a  wife, 
Pathfinder,  to  share  your  fortunes,"  enquired  the  girl,  with 
the  directness  and  simplicity  that  the  pure  of  heart,  and  the 
nndesigning,  are  the  most  apt  to  manifest,  and  with  that  feeling 
of  affection  which  is  inbred  in  her  sex.  "  To  me,  it  seems, 
you  only  want  a  home  to  return  to,  from  your  wanderings, 
to  render  your  life  completely  happy.  Were  I  a  man,  it 
would  be  my  delight  to  roam  through  these  forests  at  will,  or 
to  sail  over  this  beautiful  lake." 

"  I  understand  you,  Mabel ;  and  God  bless  you  for  think 
ing  of  the  welfare  of  men  as  humble  as  we  are.     We  have 
our  pleasures,  it  is  true,  as  well  as  our  gifts,  but  we  might  be 
happier;  yes,  I  do  think  we  might  be  happier." 

"Happier!  in  what  way,  Pathfinder?  In  this  pure  air, 
with  these  cool  and  shaded  forests  to  wander  through,  this 
lovely  lake  to  gaze  at,  and  sail  upon,  with  clear  consciences, 
and  abundance  for  all  the  real  wants,  men  ought  to  be  nothing 
less  than  as  perfectly  happy,  as  their  infirmities  will  allow."' 

"  Every  creatur'  has  its  gifts,  Mabel,  and  men  have  theirs," 
answered  the  guide,  looking  stealthily  at  his  beautiful  com 
panion,  whose  cheeks  had  flushed  and  eyes  brightened  under 
the  ardour  of  feelings,  excited  by  the  novelty  of  her  striking 
situation ;  "  and  all  must  obey  them.  Do  you  see  yonder 


THE    PATHFINDER. 

pigeon  that  is  just  alightin'  on  the  beach, — here  in  a  line  with 
the  fallen  chestnut  ? " 

"  Certainly ;  it  is  the  only  thing  stirring  with  life  in  it,  be 
sides  ourselves,  that  is  to  be  seen  in  this  vast  solitude." 

"  Not  so,  Mabel,  not  so ;  Providence  makes  nothing  that 
lives,  to  live  quite  alone. — Here  is  its  mate,  just  rising  on  the 
wing ;  it  has  been  feeding  near  the  other  beach,  but  it  will 
not  long  be  separated  from  its  companion." 

"  I  understand  you,  Pathfinder ;"  returned  Mabel,  smiling 
sweetly,  though  as  calmly  as  if  the  discourse  was  with  hei 
father.  "  But  a  hunter  may  find  a  mate,  even  in  this  wild  re 
gion.  The  Indian  girls  are  affectionate  and  true,  I  know,  foi 
such  was  the  wife  of  Arrowhead,  to  a  husband  who  oftenei 
frowned  than  smiled." 

"  That  would  never  do,  Mabel,  and  good  would  nevei 
come  of  it.  Kind  must  cling  to  kind,  and  country  to  coun 
try,  if  one  would  find  happiness.  If,  indeed,  I  could  meet 
with  one  like  you,  who  would  consent  to  be  a  hunter's  wife, 
and  who  would  not  scorn  my  ignorance  and  rudeness,  then, 
indeed,  would  all  the  toil  of  the  past  appear  like  the  sporting 
of  the  young  deer,  and  all  the  future  like  sunshine !" 

"  One  like  me ! — A  girl  of  my  years  and  indiscretion 
would  hardly  make  a  fit  companion  for  the  boldest  scout  and 
surest  hunter  on  the  lines !" 

"  Ah !  Mabel,  I  fear  me,  that  I  have  been  improving  a 
red-skin's  gifts,  with  a  pale-face's  natur* !  Such  a  character 
would  insure  a  wife,  in  an  Indian  village." 

"  Surely,  surely,  Pathfinder,  you  would  not  think  of  choos 
ing  one  as  ignorant,  as  frivolous,  as  vain,  and  as  inexperi 
enced  as  I,  for  your  wife !"  Mabel  would  have  added,  "  and 
as  young,"  but  an  instinctive  feeling  of  delicacy  repressed 
the  words. 

"  And  why  not,  Mabel  ?  If  you  are  ignorant  of  frontiei 
usages,  you  know  more  than  all  of  us,  of  pleasant  anecdotes 
and  town  customs ;  as  for  frivolous,  I  know  not  what  it 
means,  but  if  it  signifies  beauty,  ah's  me  !  I  fear  it  is  no  fault 
in  my  eyes.  Vain  you  are  not,  as  is  seen  by  ibe  kind  man 
ner  in  which  you  listen  to  all  my  idle  tales  abowt  scoutings 
and  trails ;  and  as  for  experience,  that  will  eome  with  years. 
Besides,  Mabel,  I  fear  men  think  little  of  these  matters,  whea 
they  are  a)x>ut  to  take  wives,  I  do." 


THE   PATHFINDER.  273 

"  Pathfinder — your  words — your  looks — surely  all  this  is 
meant  in  trifling — you  speak  in  pleasantry  1" 

"  To  me  it  is  always  agreeable  to  be  near  you,  Mabel,  and 
I  should  sleep  sounder  this  blessed  night,  than  I  have  done 
for  a  week  past,  could  I  think  that  you  find  such  discourse  as 
pleasant  as  I  do." 

We  shall  not  say  that  Mabel  Dunham  had  not  believed  her 
self  a  favourite  with  the  guide.  This  her  quick,  feminine 
sagacity  had  early  discovered,  and  perhaps  she  had  occasion 
ally  thought  there  had  mingled  with  his  regard  and  friend 
ship,  some  of  that  manly  tenderness  which  the  ruder  sex 
must  be  coarse  indeed  not  to  show,  on  occasions,  to  the 
gentler ;  but  the  idea  that  he  seriously  sought  her  for  his 
wife,  had  never  before  crossed  the  mind  of  the  spirited  and 
ingenuous  girl.  Now,  however,  a  gleam  of  something  like 
the  truth  broke  in  upon  her  imagination,  less  induced  by  the 
words  of  her  companion,  perhaps,  than  by  his  manner. 
Looking  earnestly  into  the  rugged,  honest  countenance  of  the 
scout,  Mabel's  own  features  became  concerned  and  grave, 
and  when  she  spoke  again,  it  was  with  a  gentleness  of  man 
ner  that  attracted  him  to  her,  even  more  powerfully  than  the 
words  themselves  were  calculated  to  repel. 

"  You  and  I  should  understand  each  other,  Pathfinder," 
she  saicl,  with  an  earnest  sincerity,  "  nor  should  there  be  any 
cloud  between  us.  You  are  too  upright  and  frank  to  meet 
with  any  thing  but  sincerity  and  frankness  in  return.  Surely 
— surely,  all  this  means  nothing — has  no  other  connexion 
with  your  feelings,  than  such  a  friendship  as  one  of  your 
wisdom  and  character  would  naturally  feel  for  a  girl  like  me  ?" 

"  I  believe  it 's  all  nat'ral,  Mabel ;  yes,  I  do ;  the  sarjeant 
tells  me  he  had  such  feelings  towards  your  own  mother,  and 
I  think  I  've  seen  something  like  it,  in  the  young  people  I 
have,  from  time  to  time,  guided  through  the  wilderness.  Yes, 
yes — I  dare  say  it 's  all  nat'ral  enough,  and  that  makes  it 
come  so  easy,  and  is  a  great  comfort  to  me." 

"  Pathfinder,  your  words  make  me  uneasy  !  Speak  plainer, 
or  change  the  subject  for  ever.  You  do  not — cannot  mean 
that — you — cannot  wish  me  to  understand — "  even  the  tongue 
of  the  spirited  Mabel  faltered,  and  she  shrunk  with  maiden 
shame,  from  adding  what  she  wished  so  earnestly  to  say. 
Rallying  hei  courage,  however,  and  determined  to  know  all 


274  THE   PATHFINDER. 

as  soon  and  as  plainly  as  possible,  after  a  moment's  hesita 
tion  she  continued—"  I  mean,  Pathfinder,  that  you  do  not 
wish  me  to  understand  that  you  seriously  think  of  me  as  a 
wife?" 

"  I  do,  Mabel ;  that 's  it — that 's  just  it,  and  you  have  put 
the  matter  in  a  much  better  point  of  view  than  I,  with  my 
forest  gifts  and  frontier  ways,  would  ever  be  able  to  do.  The 
Sarjeant  and  I  have  concluded  on  the  matter,  if  it  is  agreeable 
to  you,  as  he  thinks  is  likely  to  be  the  case,  though  I  doubt 
my  own  power  to  please  one  who  deserves  the  best  husband 
America  can  produce." 

Mabel's  countenance  changed  from  uneasiness  to  surprise, 
and  then  by  a  transition  still  quicker,  from  surprise  to  pain. 

"  My  father  !"  she  exclaimed.  "  My  dear  father  has  thought 
of  my  becoming  your  wife,  Pathfinder !" 

"  Yes,  he  has,  Mabel ;  he  has  indeed.  He  has  even  thought 
such  a  thing  might  be  agreeable  to  you,  and  has  almost  en* 
couraged  me  to  fancy  it  might  be  true." 

"  But,  you,  yourself — you,  certainly  can  care  nothing, 
whether  this  singular  expectation  shall  ever  be  realized  01 
not?" 

"Anan?" 

"  I  mean,  Pathfinder,  that  you  have  talked  of  this  match 
more  to  oblige  my  father  than  any  thing  else ;  that  your 
feelings  are  no  way  concerned,  let  my  answer  be  what  it 
may?" 

The  scout  looked  earnestly  into  the  beautiful  face  of  Mabel, 
which  had  flushed  with  the  ardour  and  novelty  of  her  sensa 
tions,  and  it  was  not  possible  to  mistake  the  intense  admira 
tion  that  betrayed  itself  in  every  lineament  of  his  ingenuous 
countenance. 

"  I  have  often  thought  myself  happy,  Mabel,  when  ranging 
the  woods,  on  a  successful  hunt,  breathing  the  pure  air  of 
the  hills,  and  filled  with  vigour  and  health,  but,  I  now  know 
that  it  has  all  been  idleness  and  vanity  compared  with  the 
delight  it  would  give  me  to  know  that  you  thought  better  of 
me  than  you  think  of  most  others." 

"  Better  of  you  ! — I  do  indeed  think  better  of  you,  Path- 
finder,  than  of  most  others — I  am  not  certain  that  I  do  not 
think  better  of  you,  than  of  any  other ;  for  your  truth,  ho- 


THE  PATHFINDER.  275 

nasty,  simplicity,  justice  and  courage  are  scarcely  equalled 
by  any  of  earth." 

"  Ah !  Mabel  I — These  are  sweet  and  encouraging  words 
from  you,  and  the  sarjeant,  after  all,  was  not  as  near  wrong 
as  I  feared." 

"  Nay,  Pathfinder — in  the  name  of  all  that  is  sacred  and 
just,  do  not  let  us  misunderstand  each  other,  in  a  matter  of 
so  much  importance.  While  I  esteem,  respect — nay,  reve 
rence  you,  almost  as  much  as  I  reverence  my  own  dear 
father,  it  is  impossible  that  I  should  ever  become  your  wife — 
that  I" 

The  change  in  her  companion's  countenance  was  so  sud 
den  and  so  great,  that  the  moment  the  effect  of  what  she  had 
uttered  became  visible  in  the  face  of  the  Pathfinder,  Mabel 
arrested  her  own  words,  notwithstanding  her  strong  desire  to 
be  explicit,  the  reluctance  with  which  she  could  at  any  time 
cause  pain  being  sufficient  of  itself  to  induce  the  pause. 
Neither  spoke  for  some  time,  the  shade  of  disappointment 
that  crossed  the  rugged  lineaments  of  the  hunter,  amounting 
so  nearly  to  anguish,  as  to  frighten  his  companion,  while  the 
sensation  of  choking  became  so  strong  in  the  Pathfinder,  that 
he  fairly  griped  his  throat,  like  one  who  sought  physical 
relief  for  physical  suffering.  The  convulsive  manner  in 
which  his  fingers  worked  actually  struck  tjie  alarmed  girl 
with  a  feeling  of  awe. 

"  Nay,  Pathfinder,"  Mabel  eagerly  added,  the  instant  she 
could  command  her  voice — "  I  may  have  said  more  than  I 
mean,  for  all  things  of  this  nature  are  possible,  and  women, 
they  say,  are  never  sure  of  their  own  minds.  What  I  wish 
you  to  understand  is,  that  it  is  not  likely  that  you  and  I 
should  ever  think  of  each  other,  as  man  and  wife  ought  to 
think  of  each  other." 

"  I  do  not — I  shall  never  think  in  that  way  again,  Mabel — " 
gasped  forth  the  Pathfinder,  who  appeared  to  utter  his  words, 
like  one  just  raised  above  the  pressure  of  some  suffocating 
substance.  "  No — no — I  shall  never  think  of  you,  or  any 
one  else,  again,  in  that  way." 

"  Pathfinder — dear  Pathfinder — understand  me — do  not 
attach  more  meaning  to  my  words  than  I  do  myself — a  match 
like  that  would  be  unwise — unnatural,  perhaps." 


276  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"  Yes,  unnat'ral — ag'in  natur' ;  and  so  1  told  the  sarjeant, 

out  he  would  have  it  otherwise." 

"  Pathfinder  ! — Oh  !  this  is  worse  than  I  could  have  ima 
gined — take  my  hand,  excellent  Pathfinder,  and  let  me  see 
that  you  do  not  hate  me.  For  God's  sake  smile  upon  me 
again  !" 

"  Hate  you,  Mabel ! — Smile  upon  you  ! — Ah's  me  !" 

"Nay,  give  me  your  hand;  your  hardy,  true  and  manly 
hand — both,  both,  Pathfinder,  for  I  shall  not  be  easy  until  1 
feel  certain  that  we  are  friends  again,  and  that  all  this  has 
been  a  mistake." 

"  Mabel,"  said  the  guide,  looking  wistfully  into  the  face 
of  the  generous  and  impetuous  girl,  as  she  held  his  two 
hard  and  sunburnt  hands  in  her  own  pretty  and  delicate 
fingers,  and  laughing  in  his  own  silent  and  peculiar  manner, 
while  anguish  gleamed  over  lineaments  which  seemed  inca 
pable  of  deception,  even  while  agitated  with  emotions  so  con 
flicting,  "  Mabel,  the  sarjeant  was  wrong !" 

The  pent-up  feelings  could  endure  no  more,  and  the  tears 
rolled  down  the  cheeks  of  the  scout  like  rain.  His  fingers 
again  worked  convulsively  at  his  throat,  and  his  breast 
heaved,  as  if  it  possessed  a  tenant  of  which  it  would  be  rid, 
by  any  effort,  however  desperate. 

"  Pathfinder !  —  Pathfinder !"  Mabel  almost  shrieked,— 
"  any  thing  but  this — any  thing  but  this.  Speak  to  me, 
Pathfinder, — smile  again — say  one  kind  word — any  thing  to 
prove  you  can  forgive  me." 

"  The  sarjeant  was  wrong ;"  exclaimed  the  guide,  laugh 
ing  amid  his  agony,  in  a  way  to  terrify  his  companion  by 
the  unnatural  mixture  of  anguish  and  light-heartedness.  "  I 
knew  it — I  knew  it,  and  said  it ;  yes,  the  sarjeant  was  wrong, 
after  ail." 

"  We  can  be  friends,  though  we  cannot  be  man  and  wife," 
continued  Mabel,  almost  as  much  disturbed  as  her  compa 
nion,  scarce  knowing  what  she  said ;  "  we  can  always  be 
friends,  and  always  will." 

"  I  thought  the  sarjeant  was  mistaken,"  resumed  the  Path 
finder,  when  a  great  effort  had  enabled  him  to  command 
himself,  "  for  I  did  not  think  my  gifts  were  such  as  would 
please  the  faney  of  n  town-bred 'girl.  It  would  have  been 
better,  Mabel,  had  he  not  over-persuaded  me  into  a  different 


THE    PATHFINDER.  277 

notion ;  and  it  might  have  been  better,  too,  had  you  not  been 
so  pleasant  and  confiding,  like ;  yes,  it  would." 

"  If  1  thought  any  error  of  mine  had  raised  false  expecta 
tions  in  you,  Pathfinder,  however  unintentionally  on  my  part, 
I  should  never  forgive  myself;  for,  believe  me,  J  would  rather 
endure  pain  in  my  own  feelings,  than  you  should  suffer." 

"  That 's  just  it,  Mabel ;  that 's  just  it.  These  speeches 
and  opinions,  spoken  in  so  soft  a  voice,  and  in  a  way  I  'm  so 
unused  to  in  the  woods,  have  done  the  mischief.  But  I  now 
see  plainly,  and  begin  to  understand  the  difference  between 
us  better,  and  will  strive  to  keep  down  thought,  and  to  go 
abroad  again  as  I  used  to  do,  looking  for  the  game  and  the 
inimy.  Ah's  me  !  Mabel,  I  have  indeed  been  on  a  false  trail, 
since  we  met ! " 

"But  you  will  now  travel  on  the  true  one.  In  a  little 
while  you  will  forget  atf  this,  and  think  of  me  as  a  friend,  who 
owes  you  her  life." 

"  This  may  be  the  way  in  the  towns,  but  I  doubt  if  it 's 
nat'ral  to  the  woods.  With  us,  when  the  eye  sees  a  lovely 
sight,  it  is  apt  to  keep  it  long  in  view,  or  when  the  mind 
takes  in  an  upright  and  proper  feeling,  it  is  loath  to  pan 
with  it." 

"  But  it  is  not  a  proper  feeling  that  you  should  love  me, 
nor  am  I  a  lovely  sight.  You  will  forget  it  all,  when  you 
come  seriously  to  recollect  that  I  am  altogether  unsuited  to  be 
your  wife." 

"So  I  told  the  sarjeant — but  he  would  have  it  otherwise 
I  knew  you  was  ioo  young  and  beautiful  for  one  of  middle 
age,  like  myself,  and  who  never  was  comely  to  look  at,  even 
in  youth ;  and  then  your  ways  have  not  been  my  ways,  nor 
would  a  hunter's  cabin  be  a  fitting  place  for  one  who  was 
edicated  among  chiefs,  as  it  were.  If  I  were  younger  and 
comelier,  though,  like  Jasper  Eau-douce — " 

"  Never  mind  Jasper  Eau-douce,"  interrupted  Mabel,  im 
patiently  ;  "  we  can  talk  of  something  else." 

"Jasper  is  a  worthy  lad,  Mabel;  ay,  and  a  comely;"  re 
turned  the  guileless  guide,  looking  earnestly  at  the  girl,  as  if 
he  distrusted  her  judgment  in  speaking  slightingly  of  his 
friend.  "  Were  I  only  half  as  comely  as  Jasper  Western, 
my  misgivings  in  this  affair  would  not  have  been  so  great,  and 
they  might  not  have  been  so  true." 
24 


278  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"  We  will  not  talk  of  Jasper  Western,"  repeated  Mabel, 
the  colour  mounting  to  her  temples — >"  he  may  be  good 
enough  in  a  gale,  or  on  the  lake,  but  he  is  not  good  enough 
to  talk  of  here." 

"  I  fear  me,  Mabel,  he  is  better  than  the  man  who  is  likely 
to  be  your  husband,  though  the  sarjeant  says  that  never  can 
take  place.  But  the  sarjeant  was  wrong  once,  and  he  may 
be  wrong  twice." 

"  And  who  is  likely  to  be  my  husband,  Pathfinder? — This 
is  scarcely  less  strange,  than  what  has  just  passed  between 
us!" 

"  I  know  it  is  nat'ral  for  like  to  seek  like,  and  for  them 
that  have  consorted  much  with  officers'  ladies,  to  wish  to  be 
officers'  ladies  themselves.  But,  Mabel,  I  may  speak  plainl) 
to  you,  I  know,  and  I  hope  my  words  will  not  give  you  pain, 
for,  now  I  understand  what  it  is  to  III  disappointed  in  such 
feelings,  I  wouldn't  wish  to  cause  even  a  Mingo  sorrow,  on 
this  head.  But  happiness  is  not  always  to  be  found  in  a 
marquee,  any  more  than  in  a  tent,  and  though  the  officers1 
quarters  may  look  more  tempting  than  the  rest  of  the  bar 
racks,  there  is  often  great  misery,  between  husband  and 
wife,  inside  of  their  doors." 

"  I  do  not  doubt  it,  in  the  least,  Pathfinder ;  and  did  it  rest 
with  me  to  decide,  I  would  sooner  follow  you  to  some  cabin 
in  the  woods,  and  share  your  fortune,  whether  it  might  be 
better  or  worse,  than  go  inside  the  door  of  any  officer  I  know, 
with  an  intention  of  remaining  there  as  its  master's  wife." 

"  Mabel,  this  is  not  what  Lundie  hopes,  or  Lundie  thinks  ! " 

"  And  what  care  I  for  Lundie?  He  is  major  of  the  55th, 
and  may  command  his  men  to*  wheel  and  march  about  as  he 
pleases,  but  he  cannot  compel  me  to  wed  the  greatest  or  the 
meanest  of  his  mess :  besides,  what  can  you  know  of  Lun- 
die's  wishes  on  such  a  subject  ? " 

"  From  Lundie's  own  mouth.  The  sarjeant  had  told  him 
that  ne  wished  me  for  a  son-in-law ;  and  the  major  being  an 
old  and  a  true  friend,  conversed  with  me  on  the  subject :  he 
put  it  to  me,  plainly,  whether  it  would  not  be  more  ^ginerous  in 
me  to  let  an  officer  succeed,  than  to  strive  to  make  you  share 
a  hunter's  fortune.  I  owned  the  truth,  I  did  ;  and  that  was, 
that  I  thought  it  might ;  but  when  he  tol$  me  that  the  quarter 
master  would  be  his  choice,  I  would  not  abide  by  the  condi- 


THE   PATHFINDER.  279 

(ions.  No — no — Mabel;  I  know  Davy  Muir  well,  and 
though  he  may  make  you  a  lady,  he  can  never  make  you  a 
happy  woman,  or  himself  a  gentleman.  I  say  this  honestly, 
I  do ;  for  I  now  plainly  see  that  the  sarjeant  has  been  wrong." 

"  My  father  has  been  very  wrong,  if  he  has  said  or  done 
aught  to  cause  you  sorrow,  Pathfinder ;  and  so  great  is  my 
respect  for  you,  so  sincere  my  friendship,  that  were  it  not  for 
one — I  mean  that  no  person  need  fear  Lieutenant  Muir's  in 
fluence  with  me.  I  would  rather  remain  as  I  am,  to  my 
dying  day,  than  become  a  lady,  at  the  cost  of  being  his 
wife." 

"  I  do  not  think  you  would  say  that  which  you  do  not  feel, 
Mabel,"  returned  Pathfinder,  earnestly. 

"  Not  at  such  a  moment,  on  such  a  subject,  and  least  of 
all,  to  you.  No  ;  Lieutenant  Muir  may  find  wives  where  he 
can — my  name  shall  never  be  on  his  catalogue." 

"  Thank  you — thank  you,  for  that,  Mabel ;  for  though 
there  is  no  longer  any  hope  for  me,  I  could  never  be  happy 
were  you  to  take  to  the  Quarter-master.  I  feared  the  com 
mission  might  count  for  something,  I  did,  and  I  know  the 
man.  It  is  not  jealousy  that  makes  me  speak  in  this  man 
ner,  but  truth,  for  I  know  the  man.  Now,  were  you  to  fancy 
a  desarving  youth,  one  like  Jasper  Western,  for  instance — " 

"Why  always  mention  Jasper  Eau-douce,  Pathfinder]  he 
can  have  no  concern  with  our  friendship ;  let  us  talk  of  your 
self,  and  of  the  manner  in  which  you  intend  to  pass  the 
winter." 

"  Ah's  me ! — I'm  little  worth  at  the  best,  Mabel,  unless  it 
may  be  on  a  trail,  or  with  the  rifle ;  and  less  worth  now 
that  I've  discovered  the  sarjeant's  mistake.  There  is  no 
need,  therefore,  of  talking  of  me.  It  has  been  very  pleasant 
to  me,  to  be  near  you  so  long,  and  even  to  fancy  that  the 
sarjeant  was  right;  but  that  is  all  over  now.  I  shall  go 
down  the  lake  with  Jasper,  and  then  there  will  be  business  to 
occupy  us,  and  that  will  keep  useless  thoughts  out  of  the 
mind." 

"  And  you  will  forget  this — forget  me — no,  not  forget  me, 
either,  Pathfinder ;  but  you  will  resume  your  old  pursuits, 
and  cease  to  think  a  girl  of  sufficient  importance  to  disturb 
your  peace?" 

"  I  never  know'd  it  afore,  Mabel,  but  girls,  as  you  caL 


280  THE    PATHFINDER. 

them,  though  gals  is  the  name  I  've  been  taught  to  use,  are 
of  more  account  in  this  life,  than  I  could  have  helieved. 
Now,  afore  I  know'd  you,  the  new-born  babe  did  not  sleep 
more  sweetly  than  I  used  to  could ;  my  head  was  no  sooner 
on  the  root,  or  the  stone,  or  mayhap  on  the  skin,  than  all  was 
lost  to  the  senses,  unless  it  might  be  to  go  over,  in  the  night, 
the  business  of  the  day,  in  a  dream,  like ;  and  there  I  lay  till 
the  moment  came  to  be  stirring,  and  the  swallows  were  not 
more  certain  to  be  on  the  wing,  with  the  light,  than  I  to  be 
afoot,  at  the  moment  I  wished  to  be.  All  this  seemed  a  gift, 
and  might  be  calculated  on,  even  in  the  midst  of  a  Mingo 
camp.;  for  I  Ve  been  outlying,  in  my  time,  in  the  very  vil 
lages  of  the  vagabonds." 

"  And  all  this  will  return  to  you,  Pathfinder ;  for  one  so 
upright  and  sincere  will  never  waste  his  happiness  on  a  mere 
fancy.  You  will  dream  again,  of  your  hunts,  of  the  deer  you 
have  slain,  and  of  the  beaver  you  have  taken." 

"  Ah's  me,  Mabel,  I  wish  never  to  dream  again  !  Before 
we  met,  I  had  a  sort  of  pleasure  in  following  up  the  hounds, 
m  fancy,  as  it  might  be ;  and  even  in  striking  a  trail  of  the 
Iroquois — nay,  I  've  been  in  skrimmages,  and  ambushments, 
in  thought,  like,  and  found  satisfaction  in  it,  according  to  my 
gifts ;  but  all  those  things  have  lost  their  charms  since  I  've 
made  acquaintance  with  you.  Now,  I  think  no  longer  of  any 
thing  rude  in  my  dreams,  but  the  very  last  night  we  staid  in 
the  garrison,  I  imagined  I  had  a  cabin  in  a  grove  of  sugar 
maples,  and  at  the  root  of  every  tree  was  a  Mabel  Dunham, 
while  the  birds  that  were  among  the  branches,  sung  ballads, 
instead  of  the  notes  that  natur'  gave,  and  even  the  deer  stopped 
to  listen.  I  tried  to  shoot  a  fa'an,  but  Killdeer  missed  fire,  and 
the  creatur'  laughed  in  my  face,  as  pleasantly  as  a  young 
girl  laughs  in  her  merriment,  and  then  it  bounded  away,  look 
ing  back,  as  if  expecting  me  to  follow." 

"  No  more  of  this,  Pathfinder — we  '11  talk  no  more  of  these 
things,"  said  Mabel,  dashing  the  tears  from  her  eyes ;  for  the 
simplej  earnest  manner  in  which  this  hardy  woodsman 
betrayed  the  deep  hold  she  had  taken  of  his  feelings,  nearly 
proved  too  much  for  her  own  generous  heart.  "  Now,  let  us 
look  for  my  father ;  he  cannot  be  distant,  as  I  heard  his  gun, 
quite  near." 

"  The  sarjeant  was  wrong— yes,  he  was  wrong,  and  it 's 


THE    PATHFINDER.  2t  I 

of  no  avail  to  attempt  to  make  the  dove  consort  with  tne 
wolf." 

"  Here  comes  my  dear  father,"  interrupted  Mabel ;  "  let 
us  look  cheerful  and  happy,  Pathfinder,  as  such  good  friends 
ought  to  look,  and  keep  each  other's  secrets." 

A  pause  succeeded ;  the  Serjeant's  foot  was  heard  crushing 
the  dried  twigs  hard  by,  and  then  his  form  appeared  shoving 
aside  the  bushes  of  a  copse,  quite  near.  As  he  issued  into 
the  open  ground,  the  old  soldier  scrutinized  his  daughter  and 
her  companion,  and  speaking  good-naturedly,  he  said — 

"  Mabel,  child  ;  you  are  young  and  light  of  foot — look  for 
a  bird  I  've  shot,  that  fell  just  beyond  the  thicket  of  young 
hemlocks,  on  the  shore ;  and,  as  Jasper  is  showing  signs  of 
an  intention  of  getting  under  way,  you  need  not  take  the 
trouble  to  clamber  up  this  hill  again,  but  we  will  meet  you, 
on  the  beach,  in  a  few  minutes  v 

Mabel  obeyed,  bounding  down  the  hill  with  the  elastic  step 
of  youth  and  health.  But,  notwithstanding  the  lightness  of 
her  steps,  the  heart  of  the  girl  was  heavy,  and  no  sooner  was 
she  hid  from  observation,  by  the  thicket,  than  she  threw  her 
self  on  the  root  of  a  tree,  and  wept  as  if  her  heart  would 
break.  The  serjeant  watched  her  until  she  disappeared,  with 
a  father's  pride,  and  then  turned  to  his  companion,  with  a 
smile  as  kind  and  as  familiar  as  his  habits  would  allow  him 
to  use  towards  any. 

"  She  has  her  mother's  lightness  and  activity,  my  friend, 
with  somewhat  of  her  father's  force,"  he  said.  "  Her  mother 
was  not  quite  as  handsome,  I  think  myself;  but  the  Dunhams 
were  always  thought  comely,  whether  men  or  women.  Well, 
Pathfinder,  I  take  it  for  granted  you  've  not  overlooked  the 
opportunity,  but  have  spoken  plainly  to  the  girl  ?  women  like 
frankness,  in  matters  of  this  sort." 

"I  believe  Mabel  and  I  understand  each  other,  at  last, 
sarjeant,"  returned  the  other,  looking  another  way  to  avoid 
the  soldier's  face. 

"  So  much  the  better.  Some  people  fancy  that  a  little 
doubt  and  uncertainty  makes  love  all  the  livelier,  but  I  am 
one  of  those  who  think  the  plainer  the  tongue  speaks,  the 
easier  the  mind  will  comprehend.  Was  Mabel  surprised  ?" 

41 1  fear  she  was,  sarjeant ;  I  fear  she  was  taken  quite  by 
surprise — yes,  I  do." 
24* 


282  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"  Well,  well,  surprises  in  love,  are  like  an  ambush  in  war 
and  quite  as  lawful ;  though  it  is  not  as  easy  to  tell  when  a 
woman  is  surprised,  as  to  tell  when  it  happens  to  an  enemy. 
Mabel  did  not  run  away,  my  worthy  friend,  did  she?" 

"  No,  sarjeant,  Mabel  did  not  try  to  escape ;  that  I  can 
say  with  a  clear  conscience." 

"  I  hope  the  girl  was  not  too  willing,  neither !  Her  mother 
was  shy  and  coy  for  a  month,  at  least — but  frankness,  alter 
all,  is  a  recommendation,  in  man  or  woman." 

"  That  it  is — that  it  is — and  judgment,  too." 

"  You  are  not  to  look  for  too  much  judgment  in  a  young 
creature  of  twenty,  Pathfinder,  but  it  will  come  with  experi 
ence.  A  mistake  in  you,  or  in  me,  for  instance,  might  not 
be  so  easily  overlooked,  but  in  a  girl  of  Mabel's  years,  ono 
is  not  to  strain  at  a  gnat,  lest  they  swallow  a  camel." 

The  reader  will  remember  that  Serjeant  Dunham  was  not 
a  Hebrew  scholar. 

The  muscles  of  the  listener's  face  twitched,  as  the  serjennt 
was  thus  delivering  his  sentiments,  though  the  former  had 
now  recovered  a  portion  of  that  stoicism  which  formed  so 
large  a  part  of  his  character,  and  which  he  had  probably 
imbibed  from  long  association  with  the  Indians.  His  eyos 
rose  and  fell,  and  once  a  gleam  shot  athwart  his  hard  li-a- 
tures,  as  if  he  were  about  to  indulge  in  his  peculiar  laugh, 
but  the  joyous  feeling,  if  it  really  existed,  was  as  quickly 
lost  in  a  look  allied  to  anguish.  It  was  this  unusual  mixture 
of  wild  and  keen  mental  agony,  with  native,  simple,  joyous- 
ness,  that  had  most  struck  Mabel,  who,  in  the  interview  just 
related,  had  a  dozen  times  been  on  the  point  of  believing  that 
her  suitor's  heart  was  only  lightly  touched,  as  images  of  hap 
piness  and  humour  gleamed  over  a  mind  that  was  almost 
infantine  in  its  simplicity  and  nature ;  an  impression,  how 
ever,  that  was  soon  driven  away,  by  the  discovery  of  emo 
tions  so  painful  and  so  deep,  that  they  seemed  to  harrow  the 
very  soul.  Indeed,  in  this  respect,  the  Pathfinder  was  a  mere 
child :  unpractised  in  the  ways  of  the  world,  he  had  no  idea 
of  concealing  a  thought  of  any  kind,  and  his  mind  received 
and  reflected  each  emotion,  with  the  pliability  and  readiness 
of  that  period  of  life ;  the  infant  scarcely  yielding  its  way 
ward  imagination  to  the  passing  impression,  with  greater 
facility,  than  this  man,  so  simple  in  all  his  personal  feelings. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  283 

so  stern,  stoical,  masculine  and  severe  in  all  that  touched  his 
ordinary  pursuits. 

"  You  say  true,  sarjeant,"  Pathfinder  answered — "  a  mis 
take  in  one  like  you  is  a  more  serious  matter." 

"  You  will  find  Mabel  sincere  and  honest  in  the  end,  give 
her  but  a  little  time." 

"  Ah's  me,  sarjeant !" 

"  A  man  of  your  merits,  would  make  an  impression  on  a 
rock,  give  him  time,  Pathfinder." 

"  Sarjeant  Dunham,  we  are  old  fellow  campaigners — that 
is,  as  campaigns  are  carried  on  here  in  the  wilderness ;  and 
we  have  done  so  many  kind  acts  to  each  other,  that  we  can 
afford  to  be  candid — what  has  caused  you  to  believe  that  a 
girl  like  Mabel  could  ever  fancy  one  as  rude  as  I  am  ?" 

"  What  ? — why  a  variety  of  reasons,  and  good  reasons, 
too,  my  friend.  Those  same  acts  of  kindness,  perhaps, 
and  the  campaigns  you  mention ;  moreover,  you  are  my 
sworn  and  tried  comrade." 

"AH  this  sounds  well,  so  far  as  you  and  I  are  consarned, 
but  they  do  not  touch  the  case  of  your  pretty  daughter.  She 
may  think  these  very  campaigns  have  destroyed  the  little 
comeliness  I  may  once  have  had,  and  I  am  not  quite  sartain 
that  being  an  old  friend  of  her  father  would  lead  any  young 
maiden's  mind  into  a  particular  affection  for  a  suitor.  Like 
loves  like,  I  tell  you,  sarjeant,  and  my  gifts  are  not  altogether 
the  gifts  of  Mabel  Dunham." 

"  These  are  some  of  your  old  modest  qualms,  Pathfinder, 
and  will  do^you  no  credit  with  the  girl.  Women  distrust 
men  who  distrust  themselves,  and  take  to  men  who  distrust 
nothing.  Modesty  is  a  capital  thing  in  a  recruit,  I  grant  you  ; 
or  in  a  young  subaltern  who  has  just  joined,  for  it  prevents 
his  railing  at  the  non-commissioned  officers,  before  he  knows 
what  to  rail  at ;  I  'm  not  sure  it  is  out  of  place  in  a  commis 
sary,  or  a  parson,  but  it 's  the  devil  and  all  when  it  gets  pos 
session  of  either  a  real  soldier,  or  a  lover.  Have  as  little  to 
do  with  it  as  possible,  if  you  would  win  a  woman's  heart. 
As  for  your  doctrine  that  like  loves  like,  it  is  as  wrong  as 
possible,  in  matters  of  this  sort.  If  like  loved  like,  women 
would  love  one  another,  and  men  also.  No — no — like  loves 
dislike," — the  serjeant  was  merely  a  scholar  of  the  camp, 
"  and  you  have  nothing  to  fear  from  Mabel  on  that  score. 


284  THE  PATHFINDER. 

Look  at  Lieutenant  Muir ;  the  man  has  had  five  wives,  al 
ready,  they  tell  me,  and  there  is  no  more  modesty  in  him 
than  there  is  in  a  cat-o'-nine-tails." 

"  Lieutenant  Muir  will  never  be  the  husband  of  Mabel 
Dunham,  let  him  ruffle  his  feathers  as  much  as  he  may." 

"  That  is  a  sensible  remark  of  yours,  Pathfinder,  for  my 
rnind  is  made  up  that  you  shall  be  my  son-in-law.  If  I  were 
an  officer  myself,  Mr.  Muir  might  have  some  chance ;  but 
time  has  placed  one  door  between  my  child  and  myself,  and 
I  don't  intend  there  shall  be  that  of  a  marquee,  also." 

"  Sarjeant,  we  must  let  Mabel  follow  her  own  fancy  ;  she 
is  young  and  light  of  heart,  and  God  forbid  that  any  wish 
of  mine  should  lay  the  weight  of  a  feather  on  a  mind  that  is 
all  gaiety  now,  or  take  one  note  of  happiness  from  hei 
laughter." 

"  Have  you  conversed  freely  with  the  girl  ?"  the  serjeanl 
demanded  quickly,  and  with  some  asperity  of  manner. 

Pathfinder  was  too  honest  to  deny  a  truth  plain  as  that 
which  the  answer  required,  and  yet  too  honourable  to  betray 
Mabel,  and  expose  her  to  the  resentment  of  one  whom  he 
well  knew  to  be  stern  in  his  anger. 

"  We  have  laid  open  our  minds,"  he  said,  "  and  though 
Mabel's  is  one  that  any  man  might  love  to  look  at,  I  find 
little  there,  sarjeant,  to  make  me  think  any  better  of  myself." 

"The  girl  has  not  dared  to  refuse  you — to  refuse  her 
father's  best  friend  ?" 

Pathfinder  turned  his  face  away  to  conceal  the  look  of 
anguish,  that  consciousness  told  him  was  passing  athwart  it, 
but  he  continued  the  discourse  in  his  own  quiet^nanly  tones. 

"  Mabel  is  too  kind  to  refuse  any  thing,  or  to  utter  harsh 
words  to  a  dog.  I  have  not  put  the  question  in  a  way  to  be 
downright  refused,  serjeant." 

"  And  did  you  expect  my  daughter  to  jump  into  your  arms, 
before  you  asked  her  ?  She  would  not  have  been  her  mother's 
child  had  she  done  any  such  thing,  nor  do  I  think  she  would 
have  been  mine.  The  Dunhams  like  plain  dealing,  as  well 
as  the  King's  Majesty,  but  they  are  no  jumpers.  Leave  me 
to  manage  this  matter  for  you,  Pathfinder,  and  there  shall  be 
no  unnecessary  delay.  I  '11  speak  to  Mabel  myself,  this  very 
evening,  using  your  name  as  principal  in  the  affair." 

"  I'd  rather  not — I'd  rather  not,  sarjeant.     Leave  the  mat 


THE    PATHFINDER.  285 

ter  to  Mabel  and  me,  and  I  think  all  will  come  right  in  the 
ind.  Young  girls  are  like  timorsome  birds ;  they  do  not  over- 
relish  being  hurried  or  spoken  harshly  to,  nither.  Leave  the 
matter  to  Mabel  and  me." 

"  On  one  condition  I  will,  my  friend ;  and  that  is,  that  you 
promise  me  on  the  honour  of  a  scout,  that  you  will  put  the 
matter  plainly  to  Mabel,  the  first  suitable  opportunity,  and  no 
mincing  of  words." 

"  I  will  ask  her,  sarjeant — yes,  I  will  ask  her,  on  condi 
tion  that  you  promise  not  to  meddle  in  the  affair — yes,  I  will 
promise  to  ask  Mabel  the  question  whether  she  will  marry 
me,  even  though  she  laugh  in  my  face,  at  my  doing  so,  on 
that  condition." 

Serjeant  Dunham  -gave  the  desired  promise,  very  cheer 
fully,  for  he  had  completely  wrought  himself  up  into  the 
belief  that  the  man  he  so  much  esteemed  and  respected  him- 
self,  must  be  acceptable  to  his  daughter.  He  had  married  a 
woman  much  younger  than  himself,  and  he  saw  no  unfitness 
in  the  respective  years  of  the  intended  couple.  Mabel  was 
educated  so  much  above  him,  too,  that  he  was  not  aware  of 
the  difference  which  actually  existed  between  the  parent  and 
child,  in  this  respect ;  for  it  is  one  of  the  most  unpleasant  fea 
tures  in  the  intercourse  between  knowledge  and  ignorance, 
taste  and  unsophistication,  refinement  and  vulgarity,  that  the 
higher  qualities  are  often  necessarily  subjected  to  the  judgments 
of  those  who  have  absolutely  no  perception  of  their  existence. 
It  followed  that  Serjeant  Dunham  was  not  altogether  quali 
fied  to  appreciate  his  daughter's  tastes,  or  to  form  a  very  pro 
bable  conjecture  what  would  be  the  direction  taken  by  those 
feelings,  which  oftener  depend  on  impulses  and  passion,  than 
on  reason.  Still,  the  worthy  soldier  was  not  so  wrong  in 
his  estimate  of  the  Pathfinder's  chances,  as  might  at  first 
appear.  Knowing,  as  he  well  did,  all  the  sterling  qualities 
of  the  man,  his  truth,  integrity  of  purpose,  courage,  self- 
devotion,  disinterestedness,  it  was  far  from  unreasonable  to 
suppose  that  qualities  like  these  would  produce  a  deep  im 
pression  on  any  female  heart,  where  there  was  an  opportu 
nity  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  their  existence ;  and  the  father 
erred  principally  in  fancying  that  the  daughter  might  know, 
as  it  might  be,  by  intuition,  what  he  himself  had  acquired  by 
years  of  intercourse  and  adventure. 


286  THE    PATHFINDER. 

As  Pathfinder  and  his  military  friend  descended  the  hill  to 
the  shore  of  the  lake,  the  discourse  did  not  flag.  The  latter 
continued  to  persuade  the  former  that  his  diffidence,  alone, 
prevented  complete  success  with  Mabel,  and  that  he  had 
only  to  persevere  in  order  to  prevail.  Pathfinder  was  much 
too  modest  by  nature,  and  had  been  too  plainly,  though  so 
delicately,  discouraged,  in  the  recent  interview,  to  believe  all 
he  heard ;  still  the  father  used  so  many  arguments  that  seemed 
plausible,  and  it  was  so  grateful  to  fancy  that  the  daughter 
might  yet  be  his,  the  reader  is  not  to  be  surprised,  when  he 
is  told  that  this  unsophisticated  being  did  not  view  Mabel's 
recent  conduct  in  precisely  the  light  in  which  he  may  be 
inclined  to  view  it  himself.  He  did  not  credit  all  that  the 
Serjeant  told  him,  it  is  true ;  but  he  began  to  think  virgin 
coyness,  and  ignorance  of  her  own  feelings,  might  have 
induced  Mabel  to  use  the  language  she  had. 

"  The  Quarter  Master  is  no  favourite,"  said  Pathfinder,  in 
answer  to  one  of  his  companion's  remarks.  "  Mabel  will 
never  look  on  him  as  more  than  one  who  has  had  four  or  five 
wives  already." 

"  Which  is  more  than  his  share.  A  man  may  marry 
twice,  without  offence  to  good  morals  and  decency,  I  allow  • 
but  four  times  is  an  aggravation." 

"  I  should  think  even  marrying  once,  what  Master  Cap 
calls  a  circumstance !"  put  in  Pathfinder,  laughing  in  his 
quiet  way,  for,  by  this  time,  his  spirits  had  recovered  some 
of  their  buoyancy. 

"  It  is  indeed,  my  friend,  and  a  most  solemn  circumstance 
too.  If  it  were  not  that  Mabel  is  to  be  your  wife,  I  would 
advise  you  to  remain  single.  But  here  is  the  girl  herself, 
and  discretion  is  the  word." 

'*  Ah's  me !  sarjoant,  I  fear  you  are  mistaken  !" 


THE    PATHFINDER. 


287 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

"  Thus  was  this  place 
A  happy  rural  seat  of  various  view." — MILTON. 

MABEL  was  in  waiting  on  the  beach,  and  the  canoe  was 
soon  launched.  Pathfinder  carried  the  party  out  through  the 
surf,  in  the  same  skilful  manner  as  he  had  brought  it  in,  and, 
though  Mabel's  colour  heightened  with  excitement,  and  her 
heart  seemed  oflen  ready  to  leap  out  of  her  mouth  again, 
they  reached  the  side  of  the  Scud  without  having  received 
even  a  drop  of  spray. 

Ontario  is  like  a  quick-tempered  man,  sudden  to  be  anger 
ed,  and  as  soon  appeased.  The  sea  had  already  fallen,  and 
though  the  breakers  bounded  the  shore,  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  it  was  merely  in  lines  of  brightness,  that  appeared  and 
vanished,  like  the  returning  waves  produced  by  a  stone  that 
had  been  dropped  into  a  pool.  The  cable  of  the  Scud  was 
scarce  seen  above  the  water,  and  Jasper  had  already  hoisted 
his  sails,  in  readiness  to  depart,  as  soon  as  the  expected 
breeze  from  the  shore  should  fill  the  canvass. 

It  was  just  sun-set,  as  the  cutter's  mainsail  flapped,  and  its 
stem  began  to  sever  the  water.  The  air  was  light  and  south 
erly,  and  the  head  of  the  vessel  was  kept  looking  up  along 
the  south  shore,  it  being  the  intention  to  get  to  the  eastward 
again,  as  fast  as  possible.  The  night  that  succeeded  was 
quiet,  and  the  rest  of  those  who  slept,  deep  and  tranquil. 

Some  difficulty  occurred  concerning  the  command  of  the 
vessel,  but  the  matter  had  been  finally  settled  by  an  ami 
cable  compromise.  As  the  distrust  of  Jasper  was  far  from 
being  appeased,  Cap  retained  a  supervisory  power,  while 
the  young  man  was  allowed  to  work  the  craft,  subject,  at  all 
times,  to  the  control  and  interference  of  the  old  seaman. 
To  this  Jasper  consented,  in  preference  to  exposing  Mabel 
any  longer  to  the  dangers  of  their  present  situation;  for,  now 
that  the  violence  of  the  elements  had  ceased,  he  well  Knew 
that  the  Montcalm  would  be  in  search  of  them.  He  had  the 
discretion,  however,  not  to  reveal  his  apprehensions  on  this 
head,  for  it  happened  that  the  very  means  he  deemed  the  best 


288 


THE   PATHFINDER. 


lo  escape  the  enemy,  were  those  which  would  he  most  likely 
to  awaken  new  suspicions  of  his  honesty,  in  the  minds  of 
those  who  held  the  power  to  defeat  his  intentions.  In  other 
words,  Jasper  believed  that  the  gallant  young  Frenchman, 
who  commanded  the  ship  of  the  enemy,  would  quit  his  an 
chorage  under  the  fort  at  Niagara,  and  stand  up  the  lake,  as 
soon  as  the  wind  abated,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  the 
Scud ;  keeping  mid-way  between  the  two  shores,  as  the  best 
means  of  commanding  a  broad  view ;  and  that,  on  his  part 
it  would  be  expedient  to  hug  one  coast  or  the  other,  not  only 
to  avoid  a  meeting,  but  as  affording  a  chance  of  passing  with 
out  detection,  by  blending  his  sails  and  spars  with  objects  on 
the  land.  He  preferred  the  south,  because  it  was  the  weather 
shore,  and  because  he  thought  it  was  that  which  the  enemy 
would  the  least  expect  him  to  take,  though  it  necessarily  led 
near  his  settlements,  and  in  front  of  one  of  the  strongest  posts 
he  held  in  that  part  of  the  world. 

Of  all  this  however,  Cap  was  happily  ignorant,  and  the 
Serjeant's  mind  was  too  much  occupied  with  the  details  of  his 
military  trust  to  enter  into  these  niceties,  which  so  property 
belonged  to  another  profession.  No  opposition  was  made, 
therefore,  and,  ere  morning,  Jasper  had  apparently  dropped 
quietly  into  all  his  former  authority,  issuing  his  orders  freely, 
and  meeting  with  obedience  without  hesitation  or  cavil. 

The  appearance  of  day,  brought  all  on  board  on  deck 
again,  and,  as  is  usual  with  adventurers  on  the  water,  the 
opening  horizon  was  curiously  examined,  as  objects  started 
out  of  the  obscurity,  and  the  panorama  brightened  under  the 
growing  light.  East,  west,  and  north,  nothing  was  visible 
but  water,  glittering  in  the  rising  sun  ;  but  southward,  stretched 
the  endless  belt  of  woods,  that  then"  held  Ontario  in  a  setting 
of  forest  verdure.  Suddenly  an  opening  appeared  ahead, 
and  then  the  massive  walls  of  a  chateau-looking  house,  with 
outworks,  bastions,  block-houses,  and  palisadoes,  frowned  on 
a  head-land,  that  bordered  the  outlet  of  a  broad  stream. 
Just  as  the  fort  became  visible,  a  little  cloud  rose  over  it,  and 
the  white  ensign  of  France  was  seen  fluttering  from  a  lofty 
(lag-stafl. 

Cap  gave  an  ejaculation  as  he  witnessed  this  ungrateful 
exhibition,  and  he  cast  a  quick  suspicious  glance  at  his  bro 
ther-in-law. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  289 

*'  The  dirty  table-cloth  hung  up  to  air,  as  my  name  is 

Charles  Cap !  "    he  muttered,  "  and  we  hugging  this  d d 

shore,  as  if  it  were  our  wife  and  children,  met  on  the  return 
from  an  India  v'y'ge !  Harkee,  Jasper,  are  you  in  search 
of  a  cargo  of  fross,  that  you  keep  so  near  in  to  this  New 
France  ?" 

"  I  hug  the  land,  sir,  in  the  hope  of  passing  the  enemy's 
ship  without  being  seen,  for  I  think  she  must  be  somewhere 
down  here  to  leeward." 

"  Ay,  ay ;  this  sounds  well,  and  I  hope  it  may  turn  out  as 
you  say.  I  trust  there  is  no  under-tow  here  ?" 

"  We  are  on  a  weather  shore,  now,"  said  Jasper,  smiling ; 
"  and,  I  think  you  will  admit,  Master  Cap,  that  a  strong  under 
tow  makes  an  easy  cable :  we  owe  all  our  lives  to  the  under 
tow  of  this  very  lake." 

"  French  flummery !"  growled  Cap,  though  he  did  not  care 
to  be  heard  by  Jasper.  "  Give  me  a  fair,  honest,  English- 
Yankee-American  tow,  above  board,  and  above  water  too,  if 
I  must  have  a  tow  at  all,  and  none  of  your  sneaking  drift 
that  is  below  the  surface,  where  one  can  neither  see  nor  feel. 
I  dare  say,  ff  the  truth  could  be  come  at,  that  this  late  escape 
of  ours  was  all  a  contrived  affair." 

"  We  have  now  a  good  opportunity,  at  least,  to  reconnoitre 
the  enemy's  post  at  Niagara,  brother,  for  such  I  take  this  fort 
to  be,"  put  in  the  serjeant.  "  Let  us  be  all  eyes  in  passing, 
and  remember  that  we  are  almost  in  face  of  the  enemy." 

This  advice  of  the  Serjeant's  needed  nothing  to  enforce  it, 
for  the  interest  and  novelty  of  passing  a  spot  occupied  by 
human  beings,  were  of  themselves  sufficient  to  attract  deep 
attention  in  that  scene  of  a  vast  but  deserted  nature.  The 
wind  was  now  fresh  enough  to  urge  the  Scud  through  the 
water  with  considerable  velocity,  and  Jasper  eased  her  helm 
as  she  opened  the  river,  and  luffed  nearly  into  the  mouth  of 
that  noble  strait,  or  river,  as  it  is  termed.  A  dull,  distant; 
heavy  roar  came  down  through  the  opening  in  the  banks, 
swelling  on  the  currents  of  the  air,  like  the  deeper  notes  of 
some  immense  organ,  and  occasionally  seeming  to  cause  the 
earth,  itself,  to  tremble. 

"  That  sounds  like  surf  on  some  long  unbroken  coast ! n 
exclaimed  Cap,  as  a  swell,  deeper  than  common  came  to  his 
airs. 

25 


290  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"  Ay,  that  is  such  surf  as  we  have  in  this  quarter  of  the 
world,"  Pathfinder  answered.  "  There  is  no  under-tow  there, 
Master  Cap,  but  all  the  water  that  strikes  the  rocks  stays 
there,  so  far  as  going  back  ag'in  is  consarned.  That  is  old 
Niagara  that  you  hear,  or  this  noble  stream  tumbling  down  a 
mountain !" 

"No  one  will  have  the  impudence  to  pretend  that  this 
fine  broad  river  falls  over  yonder  hills  ?" 

"  It  does,  Master  Cap,  it  does ;  and  all  for  the  want  of 
stairs,  or  a  road,  to  come  down  by.  This  is  natur',  as  we 
have  it  up  hereaway,  though  I  dare  say  you  beat  us  down  on 
the  ocean.  Ah's  me !  Mabel ;  a  pleasant  hour  it  would  be  if 
we  could  walk  on  the  shore  some  ten  or  fifteen  miles  up  this 
stream,  and  gaze  on  all  that  God  has  done  there !" 

"  You  have,  then,  seen  these  renowned  falls,  Pathfinder  ?" 
the  girl  eagerly  enquired. 

"  I  have — yes,  I  have ;  and  an  awful  sight  I  witnessed  at 
that  same  time.  The  Sarpent  and  I  were  out,  scouting  about 
the  garrison  there,  when  he  told  me  that  the  traditions  of  his 
people  gave  an  account  of  a  mighty  cataract  in  this  neighbour 
hood,  and  he  asked  me  to  vary  from  the  line  o'f  march  a 
little  to  look  at  the  wonder.  I  had  heard  some  marvels  con- 
sarning  the  spot,  from  the  soldiers  of  the  60th,  which  is  my 
nat'ral  corps,  like,  and  not  the  55th,  with  which  I  have  so 
journed  so  much  of  late,  but  there  are  so  many  terrible  liars 
in  all  rijiments,  that  I  hardly  believed  half  they  had  told  me. 
Well,  we  went ;  and  though  we  expected  to  be  led  by  our 
ears,  and  to  hear  some  of  that  awful  roaring  that  we  hear 
to-day,  we  were  disappointed,  for  natur'  was  not  then  speak 
ing  in  thunder,  as  she  is  this  morning.  Thus  it  is,  in  the 
forest,  Master  Cap ;  there  being  moments  when  God  seems  to 
be  walking  abroad  in  power,  and  then,  again,  there  is  a  calm 
over  all,  as  if  his  spirit  lay  in  quiet  along  the  'arth.  Well 
we  came  suddenly  upon  the  stream,  a  short  distance  above 
the  fall,  and  a  young  Delaware,  who  was  in  our  company, 
found  a  bark  canoe,  and  he  would  push  into  the  current,  to 
reach  an  island  that  lies  in  the  very  centre  of  the  confusion  and 
strife.  We  told  him  of  his  folly,  we  did,  and  we  reasoned  with 
him  on  the  wickedness  of  tempting  Providence  by  seeking  dan* 
ger  that  led  to  no  ind  ;  but  the  youth  among  the  Delawares  are 
very  much  the  same  as  the  youth  among  the  soldiers,  risky 


THE  PATHFINDER.  291 

and  vain.  All  we  could  say  did  not  change  his  mind,  and 
the  lad  had  his  way.  To  me  it  seems,  Mabel,  that  whenever 
a  thing  is  really  grand  and  potent,  it  has  a  quiet  majesty 
about  it,  that  is  alfogether  unlike  the  frothy  and  flustering 
manner  of  smaller  matters,  and  so  it  was  with  them  rapids. 
The  canoe  was  no  sooner  fairly  in  them,  than  down  it  went, 
as  it  might  be,  as  one  sails  through  the  air  on  the  'arth,  and 
no  skill  of  the  young  Delaware  could  resist  the  stream.  And 
yet  he  struggled  manfully  for  life,  using  the  paddle  to  the 
last,  like  the  deer  that  is  swimming  to  cast  the  hounds.  At 
first,  he  shot  across  the  current  so  swiftly,  that  we  thought 
he  would  prevail,  but  he  had  miscalculated  his  distance,  and 
when  the  truth  really  struck  him,  he  turned  the  head  up 
stream,  and  struggled  in  a  way  that  was  fearful  to  look  at. 
I  could  have  pitied  him  even  had  he  been  a  Mingo  !  For  a 
few  moments  his  efforts  were  so  frantic,  that  he  actually  pre 
vailed  over  the  power  of  the  cataract ;  but  natur'  has  its 
limits,  and  one  faltering  stroke  of  the  paddle  set  him  back, 
and  then  he  lost  ground,  foot  by  foot,  inch  by  inch,  until  he 
got  near  the  spot  where  the  river  looked  even  and  green,  and 
as  if  it  were  made  of  millions  of  threads  of  water,  all  bent 
over  some  huge  rock,  when  he  shot  backwards  like  an  arrow 
and  disappeared,  the  bow  of  the  canoe  tipping  just  enough  to 
let  us  see  what  had  become  of  him.  I  met  a  Mohawk,  some 
years  later,  who  had  witnessed  the  whole  affair,  from  the  bed 
of  the  stream  below,  and  he  told  me  that  the  Delaware  con 
tinued  to  paddle,  in  the  air,  until  he  was  lost  in  the  mists 
of  the  falls !" 

"  And  what  became  of  the  poor  wretch?"  demanded  Mabel, 
who  had  been  strongly  interested  by  the  natural  eloquence  ot 
the  speaker. 

"  He  went  to  the  happy  hunting-grounds  of  his  people,  no> 
doubt ;  for  though  he  was  risky  and  vain,  he  was  also  just 
and  brave.  Yes,  he  died  foolishly,  but  the  Manitou  of  the 
red-skins  has  compassion  on  his  croatur's,  as  well  as  the  God 
of  a  Christian!" 

A  gun,  at  this  moment,  was  discharged  from  a  block-house 
near  the  fort,  and  the  shot,  one  of  light  weignt,  came  whis 
tling  over  the  cutter's  mast,  an  admonition  to  approach  no 
nearer.  Jasper  was  at  the  helm,  and  he  kept  away,  smiling 
at  the  same  time,  as  if  he  felt  no  anger  at  the  rudeness  of 


292  THE    PATHFINDER. 

the  salutation.  The  Scud  was  now  in  the  current,  and  her 
outward  set  soon  carried  her  far  enough  to  leeward  to  avoid 
the  danger  of  a  repetition  of  the  shot,  and  then  she  quietly 
continued  her  course  along  the  land.  As  soon  as  the  river 
was  fairly  opened,  Jasper  ascertained  that  the  Montcalm  was 
not  at  anchor  in  it ;  and  a  man  sent  aloft  came  down  with 
the  report  that  the  horizon  showed  no  sail.  The  hope  was 
now  strong,  that  the  artifice  of  Jasper  had  succeeded,  and 
that  the  French  commander  had  missed  them  by  keeping  the 
middle  of  the  lake,  as  he  steered  towards  its  head. 

All  that  day  the  wind  hung  to  the  southward,  and  the 
cutter  continued  her  course  about  a  league  from  the  land, 
running  six  or  eight  knots  the  hour,  in  perfectly  smooth 
water.  Although  the  scene  had  one  feature  of  monotony, 
the  outline  of  unbroken  forest,  it  was  not  without  its  in 
terest  and  pleasures.  Various  head-lands  presented  them 
selves,  and  the  cutter,  in  running  from  one  to  another, 
stretched  across  bays  so  deep,  as  almost  to  deserve  the 
names  of  gulfs,  but  nowhere  did  the  eye  meet  with  the  evi 
dences  of  civilization.  Rivers  occasionally  poured  their  tri 
bute  into  the  great  reservoir  of  the  lake,  but  their  banks  could 
be  traced  inland  for  miles,  by  the  same  outlines  of  trees  ;  and 
even  large  bays,  that  lay  embosomed  in  woods,  communica 
ting  with  Ontario,  only  by  narrow  outlets,  appeared  and 
disappeared,  without  bringing  with  them  a  single  trace  of  a 
human  habitation. 

Of  all  on  board,  the  Pathfinder  viewed  the  scene  with  the 
most  unmingled  delight.  His  eyes  feasted  on  the  endless 
line  of  forest,  and,  more  than  once  that  day,  notwithstanding 
he  found  it  so  grateful  to  be  near  Mabel,  listening  to  her 
pleasant  voice,  and  echoing,  in  feelings  at  least,  her  joyous 
laugh,  did  his  soul  pine  to  be  wandering  beneath  the  high 
arches  of  the  maples,  oaks,  and  lindens,  where  his  habits  had 
induced  him  to  fancy  lasting  and  true  joys  were  only  to  be 
found.  Cap  viewed  the  prospect  differently.  More  than 
once,  he  expressed  his  disgust  at  there  being  no  l:ght-houses, 
church-towers,  beacons,  or  roadsteads  with  their  shipping. 
Such  another  coast,  he  protested,  the  world  did  not  contain ; 
and,  taking  the  serjeant  aside,  he  gravely  assured  him  that 
the  region  could  never  come  to  any  thing,  as  the  havens  were 
neglected,  the  rivers  had  a  deserted  and  useless  look,  and 


THE   PATHFINDER.  293 

that  even  the  breeze  had  a  smell  of  the  forest  about  it,  which 
spoke  ill  of  its  properties. 

But  the  humours  of  the  different  individuals  in  her,  did  not 
stay  the  speed  of  the  Scud.  When  the  sun  was  setting,  she 
was  already  a  hundred  miles  on  her  route  towards  Oswego, 
into  which  river  Serjeant  Dunham  now  thought  it  his  duty  to 
go,  in  order  to  receive  any  communications  that  Major  Dun 
can  might  please  to  make.  With  a  view  to  effect  this  pur 
pose,  Jasper  continued  to  hug  the  shore  all  night,  and  though 
the  wind  began  to  fail  him  towards  morning,  it  lasted  long 
enough  to  carry  the  cutter  up  to  a  point  that  was  known  to 
be  but  a  league  or  two  from  the  fort.  Here  the  breeze  came 
out  light  at  the  northward,  and  the  cutter  hauled  a  little  from 
the  land  in  order  to  obtain  a  safe  offing  should  it  come  on  to 
blow,  or  should  the  weather  again  get  to  be  easterly. 

When  the  day  dawned,  the  cutter  had  the  mouth  of  the 
Oswego  well  under  her  lee,  distant  about  two  miles,  and  just 
as  the  morning  gun  from  the  fort  was  fired,  Jasper  gave  the 
order  to  ease  off  the  sheets,  and  to  bear  up  for  his  port. 
At  that  moment  a  cry  from  the  forecastle  drew  all  eyes 
towards  the  point  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  outlet,  and  there, 
just  without  the  range  of  shot  from  the  light  guns  of  the 
works,  with  her  canvass  reduced  to  barely  enough  to  keep 
her  stationary,  lay  the  Montcalm,  evidently  in  waiting  for 
their  appearance.  To  pass  her  was  impossible,  for,  by  fill 
ing  her  sails,  the  French  ship  could  have  intercepted  them  in 
a  few  minutes ;  and  the  circumstances  called  for  a  prompt 
decision.  After  a  short  consultation,  the  serjeant  again 
changed  his  plan,  determining  to  make  the  best  of  his  way 
towards  the  station  for  which  he  had  been  originally  destined, 
trusting  to  the  speed  of  the  Scud  to  throw  the  enemy  so  far 
astern,  as  to  leave  no  clue  to  her  movements. 

The  cutter,  accordingly,  hauled  upon  a  wind,  with  the 
least  possible  delay,  with  every  thing  set  that  would  draw. 
Guns  were  fired  from  the  fort,  ensigns  shown,  and  the  ram 
parts  were  again  crowded.  But  sympathy  was  all  the  aid 
that  L  indie  could  lend  to  his  party,  and  the  Montcalm,  alsc 
firing  four  or  five  guns  of  defiance,  and  throwing  abroad 
several  of  the  banners  of  France,  was  soon  in  chase,  under 
B  cloud  of  canvass. 

For  several  hours  the  two  vessels  were  pressing  through 
25* 


294 


THE    1'ATHFINDER. 


the  water  as  fast  as  possible,  making  short  stretches  to  wind 
ward,  apparently  with  a  view  to  keep  the  port  under  their 
lee,  the  one  to  enter  it,  if  possible,  and  the  other  to  intercept 
it  in  the  attempt. 

At  meridian,  the  French  ship  was  hull  down,  dead  to  lee 
ward,  the  disparity  of  sailing  on  a  wind  being  very  great, 
and  some  islands  were  near  by,  behind  which  Jasper  said  it 
would  be  possible  for  tbe  cutter  to  conceal  her  future  move 
ments.  Although  Cap  and  the  serjeant,  and  particularly 
Lieutenant  Muir,  to  judge  by  his  language,  still  felt  a  good 
deal  of  distrust  of  the  young  man,  and  Frontenac  was  not 
distant,  this  advice  was  followed,  for  time  pressed,  and  the 
Quarter-Master  discreetly  observed  that  Jasper  could  not  well 
betray  them,  without  running  openly  into  the  enemy's  har 
bour,  a  step  they  could  at  any  time  prevent,  since  the  only 
cruiser  of  force  the  French  possessed,  at  the  moment,  was 
under  their  lee,  and  not  in  a  situation  to  do  them  any  imme 
diate  injury. 

Left  to  himself,  Jasper  Western  soon  proved  how  much 
was  really  in  him.  He  weathered  upon  the  islands,  passed 
them,  and,  on  coming  out  to  the  eastward,  kept  broad  away, 
with  nothing  in  sight,  in  his  wake,  or  to  leeward.  By  sun 
set,  again,  the  cutter  was  up  with  the  first  of  the  islands  that 
lie  in  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  and  ere  it  was  dark  she  was  run« 
ning  through  the  narrow  channels,  on  her  way  to  the  long- 
sought  station.  At  nine  o'clock,  however,  Cap  insisted  that 
they  should  anchor,  for  the  maze  of  islands  became  so  com 
plicated  and  obscure,  that  he  feared,  at  every  opening,  the 
party  would  find  themselves  under  the  guns  of  a  French  fort. 
Jasper  consented  cheerfully,  it  being  a  part  of  his  standing 
instructions  to  approach  the  station,  under  such  circumstances 
as  would  prevent  the  men  from  obtaining  any  very  accurate 
notions  of  its  position,  lest  a  deserter  might  betray  the  little 
garrison  to  the  enemy. 

The  Scud  was  brought-to  in  a  small  retired  bay,  where  it 
would  have  been  difficult  to  find  her  by  day-light,  and  where 
she  was  perfectly  concealed  at  night,  when  all  but  a  solitary 
sentinel  on  deck  sought  their  rest.  Cap  had  been  so  harass 
ed  during  the  previous  eight-and-forty  hours,  that  his  slum 
bers  were  long  and  deep,  nor  did  he  awake  from  his  first 
nap,  until  the  day  was  just  beginning  to  dawn.  His  eyes 


THE    PATHFINDER.  295 

were  scarcely  open,  however,  when  his  nautical  instinct  told 
him,  that  the  cutter  was  under  way.  Springing  up,  he  found 
the  Scud  threading  the  islands  again,  with  no  one  on  deck 
but.  Jasper  and  the  pilot,  unless  the  sentinel  be  excepted,  who 
had  not  in  the  least  interfered  with  movements  that  he  had 
every  reason  to  believe  were  as  regular  as  they  were  neces 
sary. 

"  How  's  this,  Master  Western !"  demanded  Cap,  with  suf 
ficient  fierceness  for  the  occasion — "  are  you  running  us  into 
Frontenac,  at  last,  and  we  all  asleep  below,  like  so  many 
mariners  waiting  for  the  *  sentry  go.'  " 

"  This  is  according  to  orders,  Master  Cap,  Major  Duncan 
having  commanded  me  never  to  approach  the  station,  unless 
at  a  moment  when  the  people  were  below ;  for  he  does  not 
wish  there  should  be  more  pilots  in  these  waters,  than  the 
king  has  need  of." 

*'  Whe-e-e-w  !  a  pretty  job  I  should  have  made  of  running 
down  among  these  bushes  and  rocks  with  no  one  on  deck ! 
Why  a  regular  York  branch  could  make  nothing  of  such  a 
channel." 

"  I  always  thought,  sir,"  said  Jasper  smiling,  "  you  would 
have  done  better,  had  you  left  the  cutter  in  my  hands,  until 
she  had  safely  reached  her  place  of  destination." 

"  We  should  have  done  it,  Jasper,  we  should  have  done  it, 
had  it  not  been  for  a  circumstance — these  circumstances  are 
serious  matters,  and  no  prudent  man  will  overlook  them." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  hope  there  is  now  an  end  of  them.  We 
shall  arrive  in  less  than  an  hour,  if  the  wind  hold,  and  then 
you  '11  be  safe  from  any  circumstances  that  I  can  contrive." 

"Humph!" 

Cap  was  obliged  to  acquiesce,  and  as  every  thing  around 
him  had  the  appearance  of  Jasper's  being  sincere,  there  was 
not  much  difficulty  in  making  up  his  mind  to  submit,  ft 
would  not  have  been  easy,  indeed,  for  a  person  the  most  sensi 
tive  on  the  subject  of  circumstances,  to  fancy  that  the  Scud 
was  anywhere  in  the  vicinity  of  a  port  as  long  established, 
And  as  well  known  on  the  frontiers,  as  Frontenac.  The 
islands  might  not  have  been  literally  a  thousand  in  number, 
but  they  were  so  numerous  ana  small  as  to  bnffle  calculation, 
though  occasionally  one  of  larger  size  than  common  was 
passed.  Jasper  had  quitted  what  might  have  been 


296  THE   PATHFINDER. 

the  main  channel,  and  was  winding  his  way,  with  a  good 
stiff  breeze,  and  a  favourable  current,  through  passes  that 
were  sometimes  so  narrow  that  there  appeared  to  be  barely 
room  sufficient  for  the  Scud's  spars  to  clear  the  trees,  while 
at  other  moments  he  shot  across  little  bays,  and  buried  the 
cutter  again,  amid  rocks,  forests  and  bushes.  The  water 
was  so  transparent,  that  there  was  no  occasion  for  the  lead, 
and  being  of 'very  equal  depth,  little  risk  was  actually  run, 
though  Cap,  with  his  maritime  habits,  was  in  a  constant 
fever  lest  they  should  strike. 

^  "  I  give  it  up ! — I  give  it  up,  Pathfinder !" — the  old  sea 
man  at  length  exclaimed,  when  the  little  vessel  emerged  in 
safety  from  the  twentieth  of  these  narrow  inlets,  through 
which  she  had  been  so  boldly  carried — "  this  is  defying  the 
very  nature  of  seamanship,  and  sending  all  its  laws  and 
rules  to  the  d 1 !" 

"  Nay,  nay,  Salt-water,  't  is  the  parfection  of  the  art. 
You  perceive  that  Jasper  never  falters,  but,  like  a  hound 
with  a  true  nose,  he  runs  with  his  head  high,  as  if  he  had  a 
strong  scent.  My  life  on  it,  the  lad  brings  us  out  right  m 
the  ind,  as  he  would  have  done  m  the  beginning  had  we 
•given  him  leave." 

"  No  pilot,  no  lead,  no  beacons,  buoys  or  light-houses, 
no—" 

"  Trail !"  interrupted  Pathfinder,  "  for  that,  to  me,  is  the 
most  mysterious  part  of  the  business.  Water  leaves  no 
trail,  as  every  one  knows,  and  yet  here  is  Jasper  moving 
ahead  as  boldly  as  if  he  had  before  his  eyes,  the  prints  of 
moccasins  on  leaves,  as  plainly  as  we  can  see  the  sun  in  the 
heaven." 

"  D e,  if  I  believe  there  is  even  any  compass !" 

"  Stand  by,  to  haul  down  the  jib,"  called  out  Jasper,  who 
merely  smiled  at  the  remarks  of  his  companion.  '*  Haul 
down — starboard  your  helm — starboard  hard — so — meet  her 
— gently  there  with  the  helm — touch  her  lightly — now  jump 
ashore  with  the  fast,  lad — no,  heave — there  are  some  of  our 
people  ready  to  take  it." 

All  this  passed  so  quickly  as  barely  to  allow  the  spectators 
time  to  note  the  different  evolutions,  ere  the  Scud  had  been 
thrown  into  the  wind  until  her  mainsail  shivered,  next  cast  a 
little  by  the  use  of  the  rudder  only,  and  then  shie  set  bodily 


THE    PATHFINDER.  297 

alongside  of  a  natural  rocky  quay,  where  she  was  immedi 
ately  secured  by  good  fasts  run  to  the  shore.  In  a  word, 
the  station  was  reached,  and  the  men  of  the  55th  were  greeted 
by  their  expecting  comrades,  with  the  satisfaction  that  a 
relief  usually  brings. 

Mabel  sprang  upon  th'3  shore  with  a  delight  which  she  did 
not  care  to  express,  and  her  father  led  his  men  after  her, 
with  an  alacrity  which  proved  how  wearied  he  had  become 
of  the  cutter.  The  station,  as  the  place  was  familiarly  termed 
by  the  soldiers  of  the  55th,  was  indeed  a  spot  to  raise  expect 
ations  of  enjoyment,  among  those  who  had  been  cooped  up 
so  long  in  a  vessel  of  the  dimensions  of  the  Scud.  None  of 
the  islands  were  high,  though  all  lay  at  a  sufficient  elevation 
above  the  water,  to  render  them  perfectly  healthy  and  secure. 
Each  had  more  or  less  of  wood,  and  the  greater  number,  at 
that  distant  day,  were  clothed  with  the  virgin  forest.  The 
one  selected  by  the  troops  for  their  purpose  was  small,  con 
taining  about  twenty  acres  of  land,  and  by  some  of  the  acci 
dents  of  the  wilderness  it  had  been  partly  stripped  of  its  trees, 
probably  centuries  before  the  period  of  which  we  are  writing, 
and  a  little  grassy  glade  covered  nearly  half  its  surface.  It 
was  the  opinion  of  the  officer  who  had  made  the  selection  of 
this  spot  for  a  military  post,  that  a  sparkling  spring  near  by, 
had  early  caught  the  attention  of  the  Indians,  and  that  they 
had  long  frequented  this  particular  place,  in  their  hunts,  or 
when  fishing  for  salmon,  a  circumstance  that  had  kept  down 
the  second  growth,  and  given  time  for  the  natural  grasses  to 
take  root,  and  to  gain  dominion  over  the  soil.  Let  the  cause 
be  what  it  might,  the  effect  was  to  render  this  island  far  more 
beautiful  than  most  of  those  around  it,  and  to  lend  it  an  air 
of  civilization  that  was  then  wanting  in  so  much  of  that  vast 
region  of  country. 

The  shores  of  Station  Island  were  completely  fringed  with 
bushes,  and  great  care  had  been  taken  to  preserve  them,  as 
they  answered  as  a  screen  to  conceal  the  persons  and  things 
collected  within  their  circle.  Favoured  by  this  shelter,  as 
well  as  by  that  of  several  thickets  of  trees,  and  different 
copses,  some  six  cr  eight  low  huts  had  been  erected  to  be  used 
as  quarters  for  the  officer  and  his  men,  to  contain  stores,  and 
to  serve  the  purposes  of  kitchen,  hospital,  &c.  These  huts 
were  built  of  logs,  in  the  usual  manner,  had  been  roofed  by 


298  THE  PATHFrNDER. 

bark  brought  from  a  distance,  lest  the  signs  of  labour  should 
attract  attention,  and  as  they  had  now  been  inhabited  some 
months,  were  as  comfortable  as  dwellings  of  that  description 
usually  ever  get  to  be. 

At  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  island,  however,  was  a 
small  densely  wooded  peninsula,  with  a  thicket  of  under-brush 
so  closely  matted,  as  nearly  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  see 
ing  across  it,  so  long  as  the  leaves  remained  on  the  branches. 
Near  the  narrow  neck  that  connected  this  acre  with  the  rest 
of  the  island,  a  small  block-house  had  been  erected,  with 
some  attention  to  its  means  of  resistance.  The  logs  were 
bullet-proof,  squared  and  jointed  with  a  care  to  leave  no  de 
fenceless  points ;  the  windows  were  loop-holes ;  the  door  mas 
sive  and  small,  and  the  roof,  like  the  rest  of  the  structure 
was  framed  of  hewn  timber,  covered  properly  with  bark  to 
exclude  the  rain.  The  lower  apartment,  as  usual,  contained 
stores  and  provisions  ;  here  indeed  the  party  kept  all  their  sup 
plies  ;  the  second  story  was  intended  for  a  dwelling,  as  well 
as  for  the  citadel,  and  a  low  garret  was  subdivided  into  two 
or  three  rooms,  and  could  hold  the  pallets  of  some  ten  or  fif 
teen  persons.  All  the  arrangements  were  exceedingly  simple 
and  cheap,  but  they  were  sufficient  to  protect  the  soldiers 
against  the  effects  of  a  surprise.  As  the  whole  building  was 
considerably  less  than  forty  feet  high,  its  summit  was  con 
cealed  by  the  tops  of  the  trees,  except  from  the  eyes  of  those 
who  had  reached  the  interior  of  the  island.  On  that  side  the 
view  was  open  from  the  upper  loops,  though  bushes  even 
there,  more  or  less,  concealed  the  base  of  the  wooden  tower. 

The  object  being  purely  defence,  care  had  been  taken  to 
place  the  block-house  so  near  an  opening  in  the  lime-stone 
rock,  that  formed  the  base  of  the  island,  as  to  admit  of  a 
bucket's  being  dropped  into  the  water,  in  order  to  obtain  that 
great  essential,  in  the  event  of  a  siege.  In  order  to  facilitate 
this  operation,  and  to  enfilade  the  base  of  the  building,  the 
upper  stories  projected  several  feet  beyond  the  lower,  in  the 
manner  usual  to  block-houses,  and  pieces  of  wood  filled  the 
apertures  cut  in  the  log  flooring,  which  were  intended  as  loops 
and  traps.  The  communications  between  the  different  stories 
were  by  means  of  ladders-  If  we  add,  that  these  block 
houses  were  intended  as  citadels,  for  garrisons  or  settlements 
to  retreat  to  in  the  cases  of  attacks,  the  general  reader  will 


THE    PATHFINDER*  299 

cfctam  a  sufficiently  correct  idea  of  the  arrangements  it  is 
our  wish  to  explain, 

But  the  situation  of  the  island,  itself,  formed  its  principal 
merU  as  a  military  position.  Lying  in  the  midst  of  twenty 
others,  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  find  it,  since  boats  might 
pass  quite  near,  and,  by  the  glimpses  caught  through  the  open 
ings,  this  particular  island  would  be  taken  for  a  part  of  some 
other.  Indeed,  the  channels  between  the  islands,  that  lay 
around  the  one  we  have  been  describing,  were  so  narrow 
that  it  was  even  difficult  to  say  which  portions  of  the  land 
were  connected,  or  which  separated,  even  as  one  stood  in 
their  centre,  with  the  express  desire  of  ascertaining  the  truth. 
The  little  bay,  in  particular,  that  Jasper  used  as  a  harbour,  was 
so  embowered  with  bushes,  and  shut  in  with  islands,  that,  the 
sails  of  the  cutter  being  lowered,  her  own  people,  on  one 
occasion,  had  searched  for  hours,  before  they  could  find  the 
Scud,  in  their  return  from  a  short  excursion  among  the  adja 
cent  channels,  in  quest  of  fish.  In  short,  the  place  was  ad 
mirably  adapted  to  its  present  objects,  and  its  natural  advan 
tages  had  been  as  ingeniously  improved  as  economy  and  the 
limited  means  of  a  frontier  post  would  very  well  allow. 

The  hour  that  succeeded  the  arrival  of  the  Scud  was  one 
of  hurried  excitement.  The  party  in  possession  had  done 
nothing  worthy  of  being  mentioned,  and  wearied  with  their 
seclusion,  they  were  all  eager  to  return  to  Oswego.  The 
Serjeant  and  the  officer  he  came  to  relieve,  had  no  sooner 
gone  through  the  little  ceremonies  of  transferring  the  com 
mand,  than  the  latter  hurried  on  board  the  Scud,  with  his 
whole  party ;  and  Jasper,  who  would  gladly  have  passed 
the  day  on  the  island,  was  required  to  get  under  way,  forth 
with,  the  wind  promising  a  quick  passage  up  the  river,  and 
across  the  lake.  Before  separating,  however,  Lieutenant 
Muir,  Cap,  and  the  serjeant  had  a  private  conference  with  the 
ensign,  who  had  been  relieved,  in  which  the  latter  was  made 
acquainted  with  the  suspicions  that  existed  against  the  fidelity 
of  the  young  sailor.  Promising  due  caution,  the  officer  em 
barked,  and  in  less  than  three  hours  from  the  time  when  she 
had  arrived,  the  cutter  was  again  in  motion. 

Mabel  had  taken  possession  of  a  hut,  and  with  female 
readiness  and  skill,  she  made  all  the  simple  little  domestic 
arrangements,  of  which  the  circumstances  would  admit,  not 


300  THE  PATHFINDER. 

only  for  her  own  comfort,  but  for  that  of  her  father.  To  save 
labour,  a  mess  table  was  prepared  in  a  hut  set  apart  for  that 
purpose,  where  all  the  heads  of  the  detachment  were  to  eat, 
the  soldier's  wife  performing  the  necessary  labour.  The  hut 
of  the  serjeant,  which  was  the  best  on  the  island,  being  thus 
freed  from  any  of  the  vulgar  offices  of  a  household,  admitted 
of  such  a  display  of  womanly  taste,  that  for  the  first  time 
since  her  arrival  on  the  frontier,  the  girl  felt  proud  of  her 
home.  As  soon  as  these  important  duties  were  discharged, 
she  strolled  out  on  the  island,  taking  a  path  that  led  through 
the  pretty  glade,  and  which  conducted  to  the  only  point  that 
was  not  covered  with  bushes.  Here  she  stood  gazing  at  the 
limpid  water,  which  lay  with  scarcely  a  ruffle  on  it,  at  her 
feet,  musing  on  the  novel  situation  in  which  she  was  placed, 
and  permitting  a  pleasing  and  deep  excitement  to  steal  over 
her  feelings,  as  she  remembered  the  scenes  through  which 
she  had  so  lately  passed,  and  conjectured  those  which  still 
lay  veiled  in  the  future. 

"  You  're  a  beautiful  fixture,  in  a  beautiful  spot,  Mistress 
Mabel,"  said  David  Muir,  suddenly  appearing  at  her  elbow, 
"  and  I  '11  no  engage  you  're  not  just  the  handsomest  of  the 
two." 

"  I  will  not  say,  Mr.  Muir,  that  compliments  on  my  person 
are  altogether  unwelcome,  for  I  should  not  gain  credit  for 
speaking  the  truth,  perhaps,"  answered  Mabel  with  spirit 
"  but  I  will  say  that  if  you  would  condescend  to  address  to 
me  some  remarks  of  a  different  nature,  I  may  be  led  to  be 
lieve  you  think  I  have  sufficient  faculties  to  understand  them.'* 

"Hoot!  your  mind,  beautiful  Mabel,  is  polished  just  like 
the  barrel  of  a  soldier's  musket,  and  your  conversation  is 

only  too  discreet  and  wise  for  a  poor  d 1,  who  has  been 

chewing  birch,  up  here  these  four  years,  on  the  lines,  instead 
of  receiving  Jt  in  an  application  that  has  the  virtue  of  im 
parting  knowledge.  But  you  are  no  sorry,  I  take  it,  young 
lady,  that  you  've  got  your  pretty  foot  on  terra  Jirma,  once 
more." 

"  I  thought  so,  two  hours  since,  Mr.  Muir,  but  the  Scud 
looks  so  beautiful,  as  she  sails  through  these  vistas  of  trees, 
that  I  almost  regret  I  am  no  longer  one  of  her  passengers." 

As  Mabel  ceased  speaking,  she  waved  her  handkerchief  in 
mturn  to  a  salutation  from  Jasper,  who  kept  his  eyes  fasten- 


THE   PATHFINDER.  301 

ed  on  her  form,  until  the  white  sails  of  the  cutter  had  swept 
round  a  point,  and  were  nearly  lost  behind  its  green  fringe 
of  leaves. 

"  There  they  go,  and  I  '11  no  say  *  joy  go  with  them,'  but 
may  they  have  the  luck  to  return  safely,  for  without  them 
we  shall  be  in  danger  of  passing  the  winter  on  this  island ; 
unless,  indeed,  we  have  the  alternative  of  the  castle  at 
Quebec.  Yon  Jasper  Eau-douce  is  a  vagrant  sort  of  a  lad,  and 
they  have  reports  of  him  in  the  garrison,  that  it  pains  my  very 
heart  to  hear.  Your  worthy  father,  and  almost-as-worthy 
uncle,  have  none  of  the  best  opinion  of  him." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it,  Mr.  Muir  ;  I  doubt  not  that  time 
will  remove  all  their  distrust." 

"  If  time  would  only  remove  mine,  pretty  Mabel,"  rejoin 
ed  the  Quarter-Master,  in  a  wheedling  tone,  "  I  should  feel 
no  envy  of  the  commander-in-chief.  I  think  if  I  were  in  a 
condition  to  retire,  the  serjeant  would  just  step  into  my 
shoes." 

"  If  my  dear  father  is  worthy  to  step  into  your  shoes,  Mr. 
Muir,"  returned  the  girl,  with  malicious  pleasure,  "  I  'm 
sure  that  the  qualification  is  mutual,  and  that  you  are  every 
way  worthy  to  step  into  his." 

"  The  deuce  is  in  the  child  !  you  would  not  reduce  me  to 
the  rank  of  a  non-commissioned  officer,  Mabel !" 

"No  indeed,  sir,  I  was  not  thinking  of  the  army  at  all,  as 
you  spoke  of  retiring.  My  thoughts  were  more  egotistical, 
ind  I  was  thinking  how  much  you  reminded  me  of  my 
dear  father,  by  your  experience,  wisdom,  and  suitableness  to 
take  his  place,  as  the  head  of  a  family." 

"  As  its  bridegroom,  pretty  Mabel,  but  not  as  its  parent, 
)r  natural  chief.  I  see  how  it  is  with  you,  loving  your 
repartee,  and  brilliant  with  wit!  Well,  I  like  spirit  in  a 
young  woman,  so  it  be  not  the  spirit  of  a  scold.  This  Path 
finder  is  an  extraordinair,  Mabel,  if  truth  may  be  said  of  the 
man." 

"  Truth  should  be  said  of  him,  or  nothing.  Pathfinder  is 
my  friend — my  very  particular  friend,  Mr.  Muir,  and  no  evil 
can  be  said  of  him,  in  my  presence,  that  I  shall  not  deny." 

"  I  shall  say  nothing  evil  of  him,  I  can  assure  you,  Mabel  J 
but,  at  the  same  time,  I  doubt  if  much  good  can  be  said  in 
his  favour." 

26 


302  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"He  is  at  least  expert  with  the  rifle/'  returned  Mabel, 
smiling.  "  That  you  cannot  deny." 

"  Let  him  have  all  the  credit  of  his  exploits  in  that  way, 
if  you  please ;  but  he  is  as  illiterate  as  a  Mohawk." 

"He  may  not  understand  Latin,  but  his  knowledge  of 
Iroquois  is  greater  than  that  of  most  men,  and  it  is  the  more 
useful  language  of  the  two,  in  this  part  of  the  world." 

"  If  Lundie,  himself,  were  to  call  on  me  for  an  opinion 
which  I  admired  most,  your  person  or  your  wit,  beautiful 
and  caustic  Mabel,  I  should  be  at  a  loss  to  answer.  My 
admiration  is  so  nearly  divided  between  them,  that  I  often 
fancy  this  is  the  one  that  bears  off  the  palm,  and  then  the 
other !  Ah !  The  late  Mrs.  Muir  was  a  paragon,  in  that  way, 
also !" 

"The  latest  Mrs.  Muir,  did  you  say,  sir?"  asked  Mabel, 
looking  up  innocently  at  her  companion. 

"Hoot— hoot! — That  is  some  of  Pathfinder's  scandal. 
Now,  I  dare  say,  that  the  fellow  has  been  trying  to  persuade 
you,  Mabel,  that  I  have  had  more  than  one  wife,  already." 

"  In  that  case,  his  time  would  have  been  thrown  away, 
sir,  as  every  body  knows  that  you  have  been  so  unfortunate 
as  to  have  had  four." 

"  Only  three,  as  sure  as  my  name  is  David  Muir.  The 
fourth  is  pure  scandal— or,  rather,  pretty  Mabel,  she  is  yet 
in  petto,  as  they  say  at  Rome  j  and  that  means,  in  matters  of 
love,  in  the  heart,  my  dear." 

"  Well,  I  Jm  glad,  I  'm  not  that  fourth  person,  in  petto,  or 
ffi  any  thing  else,  as  I  should  not  like  to  be  a  scandal !" 

"  No  fear  of  that,  charming  Mabel ;  for  were  you  the 
fourth,  all  the  others  would  be  forgotten,  and  your  wonderful 
beauty  and  merit  would,  at  once,  .elevate  you  to  be  the  first. 
No  fear  of  your  being  the  fourth  in  any  thing." 

"  There  is  consolation  in  that  assurance,  Mr.  Muir,"  said 
Mabel  laughing,  "  whatever  there  may  be  in  your  other 
Assurance,  for  I  confess  I  should  prefer  being  even  a  fourth- 
rate  beauty,  to  being  a  fourth  wife." 

So  saying,  she  tripped  away,  leaving  the  Quarter-Master 
to  meditate  on  his  success.  Mabel  had  been  induced  to  use 
her  female  means  of  defence  thus  freely,  partly  because  her 
suitor  had  of  late  been  so  pointed,  as  to  stand  in  need  of  a 
pretty  strong  repulse,  and  partly  on  account  of  his  innuendoes 


THE   PATHFINDER  303 

against  Jasper  and  tie  Pathfinder.  Though  full  of  spirit  and 
quick  of  intellect,  she  was  not  naturally  pert ;  but,  on  the 
present  occasion,  she  thought  circumstances  called  for  more 
than  usual  decision.  When  she  left  her  companion,  there 
fore,  she  believed  she  was  now  finally  released  from  atten 
tions  that  she  thought  as  ill  bestowed  as  they  were  certainly 
disagreeable.  Not  so,  however,  with  David  Muir ;  accus 
tomed  to  rebuffs,  and  familiar  with  the  virtue  of  perseverance, 
he  saw  no  reason  to  despair,  though  the  half  menacing,  half 
self-satisfied  manner  in  which  he  shook  his  head  towards 
the  retreating  girl,  might  have  betrayed  designs  as  sinister  as 
they  were  determined.  While  he  was  thus  occupied,  the 
Pathfinder  approached,  and  got  within  a  few  feet  of  him, 
unseen. 

"  'T  will  never  do,  Quarter-Master,  't  will  never  do !"  com 
menced  the  latter,  laughing  in  his  noiseless  way ;  "  she  is 
young  and  actyve,  and  none  but  a  quick  foot  can  overtake 
her.  They  tell  me  you  are  her  suitor,  if  you're  not  her  fol 
lower." 

"  And  I  hear  the  same  of  yourself,  man,  though  the  pre 
sumption  would  be  so  great,  that  I  scarce  can  think  it  true." 

"  I  fear  you're  right,  I  do  ;  yes,  I  fear  you're  right ! — 
when  I  consider  myself — what  I  am — how  little  I  know,  and 
how  rude  my  life  has  been,  I  altogether  distrust  my  claim, 
even  to  think  a  moment,  of  one  so  tctored,  and  gay,  and 
light  of  heart,  and  delicate — " 

"  You  forget  handsome,"  coarsely  interrupted  Muir. 

"  And  handsome,  too,  I  fear,"  returned  the  meek  and  self- 
abased  guide ;  "  I  might  have  said  handsome,  at  once,  among 
her  other  qualities,  for  the  young  fa'an,  just  as  it  learns  to 
bound,  is  not  more  pleasant  to  the  eye  of  the  hunter,  than 
Mabel  is  lovely  in  mine.  I  do  indeed  fear  that  all  the 
thoughts  I  have  harboured  about  her,  are  vain  and  pre- 
"sumptuous." 

"  If  you  think  this,  my  friend,  of  your  own  accord,  and 
natural  modesty,  as  it  might  be,  my  duty  to  you  as  an  old 
fellow-campaigner  compels  me  to  say — " 

"Quarter-Master,"  interrupted  the  other,  regarding  his 
companion  keenly,  "  you  and  I  have  lived  together  much 
behind  the  ramparts  of  forts,  but  very  little  in  the  open 
woods,  or  in  front  of  the  enemy." 


304  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  Garrison  or  tent,  it  all  passes  for  part  of  the  same  cam 
paign,  you  know,  Pathfinder ;  and  then  my  tfuty  keeps  mo 
much  within  sight  of  the  store-houses,  greatly  contrary  to 
my  inclinations,  as  ye  may  well  suppose,  having  yourself 
the  ardour  of  battle  in  your  temperament.  But  had  ye  heard 
what  Mabel  .las  just  been  saying  of  you,  ye'd  no  think  an 
other  minute  of  making  yourself  agreeable  to  the  saucy  and 
uncompromising  hussy." 

Pathfinder  looked  earnestly  at  the  lieutenant,  for  it  was 
impossible  he  should  not  feel  an  interest  in  what  might  be 
I  Mabel's  opinion,  but  he  had  too  much  of  the  innate  and  true 
'  feeling  of  a  gentleman,  to  ask  to  hear  what  another  had  said 
of  him.  Muir,  however,  was  not  to  be  foiled  by  this  self- 
denial  and  self-respect ;  for,  believing  he  had  a  man  of  great 
truth  and  simplicity  to  deal  with,  he  determined  to  practise 
on  his  credulity,  as  one  means  of  getting  rid  of  his  rivalry. 
He,  therefore,  pursued  the  subject,  as  soon  as  he  perceived 
that  his  companion's  self-denial  was  stronger  than  his 
curiosity. 

"  You  ought  to  know  her  opinion,  Pathfinder,"  he  con 
tinued  ;  "  and  I  think  every  man  ought  to  hear  what  his 
friends  and  acquaintances  say  of  him ;  and  so,  by  way  of 
proving  my  own  regard  for  your  character  and  feelings,  I  '11 
just  tell  you,  in  as  few  words  as  possible.  You  know  that 
Mabel  has  a  wicked  malicious  way  with  them  eyes  of  her 
own,  when  she  has  a  mind  to  be  hard  upon  one's  feelings." 

"  To  me  her  eyes,  Lieutenant  Muir,  have  always  seemed 
winning  and  soft — though  I  will  acknowledge  that  they  some 
times  laugh — yes,  I  have  known  them  to  laugh ;  and  that 
right  heartily,  and  with  downright  good  will." 

"  Well,  it  was  just  that,  then ;  her  eyes  were  laughing 
with  all  their  might,  as  it  were,  and  in  the  midst  of  all  her 
fun,  she  broke  out  with  an  exclamation  to  this  effect — I  hope 
*t  will  no  hurt  your  sensibility,  Pathfinder?" 

"  I  will  not  say,  Quarter-Master,  I  will  not  say — Mabel's 
opinion  of  me  is  of  more  account  than  that  of  most  others." 

"  Then  I'll  no  tell  ye,  but  just  keep  discretion  on  the  sub 
ject  ;  and  why  should  a  man  be  telling  another  what  his 
friends  say  of  him,  especially  when  they  happen  to  say  that 
which  may  not  be  pleasant  to  hear.  I'll  not  add  another 
word  to  this  present  communication." 


THE    PATHFINDER.  305 

"  I  cannot  make  you  speak,  Quarter-Master,  if  you  are 
not  so  minded,  and  perhaps  it  is  better  for  me  not  to  know 
Mabel's  opinion,  as  you  seem  to  think  it  is  not  in  my  favour. 
Ah's  me — if  we  could  be  what  we  wish  to  be,  instead  of  be 
ing  only  what  we  are,  there  would  be  a  great  difference  in 
our  characters,  and  knowledge,  and  appearance.  One  may 
be  rude,  and  coarse,  and  ignorant,  and  yet  happy,  if  he 
does  not  know  it ;  but  it  is  hard  to  see  our  own  failings,  in 
the  strongest  light,  just  as  we  wish  to  hear  the  least  about 
them." 

**  That's  just  the  rationale,  as  the  French  say,  of  the  mat 
ter;  and  so  I  was  telling  Mabel,  when  she  ran  away  and  left 
me.  You  noticed  the  manner  in  which  she  skipped  off,  as 
you  approached  ?" 

"  It  was  very  observable,"  answered  Pathfinder,  drawing 
a  long  breath,  and  clenching  the  barrel  of  his  rifle,  as  if  the 
fingers  would  bury  themselves  in  the  iron. 

"It  was  more  than  observable — it  was  flagrant — that's 
just  the  word,  and  the  dictionary  wouldn't  supply  a  better, 
after  an  hour's  search.  Well,  you  must  know,  Pathfinder, 
for  I  cannot  reasonably  deny  you  the  gratification  of  hearing 
this — so  you  must  know,  the  minx  bounded  off  in  that  man 
ner,  in  preference  to  hearing  what  I  had  to  say  in  your  jus 
tification." 

"  And  what  could  you  find  to  say  in  my  behalf,  Quarter- 
Master?" 

"  Why,  d'ye  understand,  my  friend,  I  was  ruled  by  cir 
cumstances,  and  no  ventured  indiscreetly  into  generalities,  but 
was  preparing  to  meet  particulars,  as  it  might  be,  with  par 
ticulars.  If  you  were  thought  wild,  half-savage,  or  of  a 
frontier  formation,  I  could  tell  her,  ye  know,  that  it  came  of 
the  frontier,  wild,  and  half-savage  life  ye  'd  led ;  and  all  her 
objections  must  cease  at  once,  or  there  would  be  a  sort  of  a 
misunderstanding  with  Providence." 

"  And  did  you  tell  her  this,  Quarter-Master  ?" 

"  I  '11  no  swear  to  the  exact  words,  but  the  idea  was  pre 
valent  in  my  mind,  ye  '11  understand.  The  girt  was  impa 
tient,  and  would  not  hear  the  half  I  had  to  say ;  but  away 
she  skipped,  as  ye  saw  with  your  own  eyes,  Pathfinder,  as 
if  her  opinion  were  fully  made  up,  and  she  cared  to  listen  no 
26* 


806  THE   PATHFINDER. 

longer.  I  fear  her  mind  may  be  said  to  have  come  to  its 
conclusion." 

"  I  fear  it  has,  indeed,  Quarter-Master,  and  her  father, 
after  all,  is  mistaken.  Yes,  yes ;  the  sarjeant  has  fallen  into 
a  grievous  error." 

"  Well,  man,  why  need  ye  lament,  and  undo  all  the  grand 
reputation  ye've  been  so  many  weary  years  making?  Shoul 
der  the  rifle  that  ye  use  so  well,  and  off  into  the  woods  with 
ye,  for  there 's  not  the  female  breathing  that  is  worth  a  heavy 
heart  for  a  minute,  as  I  know  from  experience.  Tak'  the 
word  of  one  who  knows  the  sax,  and  has  had  two  wives, 
that  women,  after  all,  are  very  much  the  sort  of  creatures 
we  do  not  imagine  them  to  be.  Now,  if  you  would  really 
mortify  Mabel,  here  is  as  glorious  an  occasion,  as  any  re 
jected  lover  could  desire." 

"  The  last  wish  I  have,  lieutenant,  would  be  to  mortify 
Mabel." 

"Well,  ye '11  come  to  that  in  the  end,  notwithstanding; 
for  it 's  human  nature  to  desire  to  give  unpleasant  feelings  to 
them,  that  give  unpleasant  feelings  to  us.  But  a  better  occa 
sion  never  offered  to  make  your  friends  love  you,  than  is  to 
be  had  at  this  very  moment,  and  that  is  the  certain  means 
of  causing  one's  enemies  to  envy  us." 

"  Quarter-Master,  Mabel  is  not  my  inemy ;  and  if  she 
was,  the  last  thing  I  could  desire,  would  be  to  give  her  an 
uneasy  moment." 

"  Ye  say  so,  Pathfinder — ye  say  so,  and  I  dare  say,  ye 
think  so ;  but  reason  and  nature  are  both  against  you,  as 
ye  '11  find  in  the  end.  Ye  've  heard  the  saying  of  *  love  me, 
love  my  dog :"  well,  now,  that  means,  read  backwards, 
'  do  n't  love  me,  do  n't  love  my  dog.'  Now,  listen  to  what 
is  in  your  power  to  do.  You  know  we  occupy  an  exceed- 
.ngly  precarious  and  uncertain  position  here,  almost  in  the 
jaws  of  the  lion,  as  it  were  ?" 

"  Do  you  mean  the  Frenchers,  by  the  lion,  and  this  island 
AS  his  jaws,  lieutenant  ?" 

"  Metaphorically  only,  my  friend,  for  the  French  are  no 
lions,  and  this  island  is  not  a  jaw — unless,  indeed,  it  may 
prove  to  be,  what  I  greatly  fear  may  come  true,  the  jaw-bono 
of  an  ass!" 

Here  the  Quarter-Master  indulged  in  a  sneering  laugh, 


THE    PATHFINDER.  307 

that  proclaimed  any  thing  but  respect  and  admiration  for  his 
friend  Lundie's  sagacity  in  selecting  that  particular  spot  foi 
his  operations. 

"  The  post  is  as  well  chosen,  as  any  I  ever  put  foot  in,' 
said  Pathfinder,  looking  around  him,  as  one  surveys  a  pic 
ture. 

"  I  '11  no  deny  it — I  '11  no  deny  it.  Lundie  is  a  great  sol  • 
dier,  in  a  small  way ;  and  his  father  was  a  great  laird,  with 
the  same  qualification.  I  was  born  on  the  estate,  and  have 
followed  the  Major  so  long,  that  I  've  got  to  reverence  all  he 
says  and  does.  That 's  just  my  weakness  ye  '11  know,  Path 
finder.  Well,  this  post  may  be  the  post  of  an  ass,  or  of  a 
Solomon,  as  men  fancy ;  but  its  most  critically  placed,  as  is 
apparent  by  all  Lundie's  precautions  and  injunctions.  There 
are  savages  out,  scouting  through  these  thousand  islands,  and 
over  the  forest,  searching  for  this  very  spot,  as  is  known  to 
Lundie  himself,  on  certain  information ;  and  the  greatest  ser 
vice  you  can  render  the  55th,  is  to  discover  their  trails,  and 
lead  them  off,  on  a  false  scent.  Unhappily,  Serjeant  Dunham 
has  taken  up  the  notion,  that  the  danger  is  to  be  apprehended 
from  up-stream,  because  Frontenac  lies  above  us ;  whereas, 
all  experience  tells  us,  that  Indians  come  on  the  side  that  is 
most  contrary  to  reason,  and,  consequently,  are  to  be  expected 
from  below.  Take  your  canoe,  therefore,  and  go  down 
stream,  among  the  islands,  that  we  may  have  notice  if  any 
danger  approaches  from  that  quarter.  If  ye  should  look  a 
few  miles  on  the  main,  especially  on  the  York  side,  the  in 
formation  you  'd  bring  in  would  be  all  the  more  accurate, 
and,  consequently,  the  more  valuable. 

"  The  Big  Sarpent  is  on  the  look-out,  in  that  quarter,  and 
as  he  knows  the  station  well,  no  doubt  he  will  give  us  timely 
notice,  should  any  wish  to  sarcumvent  us,  in  that  direction." 

"  He  is  but  an  Indian,  after  all,  Pathfinder,  and  this  is  an 
affair  that  calls  for  the  knowledge  of  a  white  man.  Lundie 
will  be  eternally  grateful  to  the  man  that  shall  help  this  little 
enterprise  to  come  off  with  flying  colours.  To  tell  you  the 
truth,  my  friend,  he  is  conscious  it  should  never  have  been 
attempted  ;  but  he  has  too  much  of  the  old  laird's  obstinacy 
about  him,  to  own  an  error,  though  it  be  as  manifest  as  the 
morning  star." 

The  Quarter-Master  then  continaed  to  reason  with  his 


308  THE   PATHFINDER. 

companion,  in  order  to  induce  him  to  quit  the  island,  without 
delay,  using  such  arguments  as  first  suggested  themselves, 
sometimes  contradicting  himself,  and  not  unfrequently  urging 
at  one  moment  a  motive  that  at  the  next  was  directly  opposed 
by  another.  The  Pathfinder,  simple  as  he  was,  detected 
these  flaws  in  the  lieutenant's  philosophy,  though  he  was  far 
from  suspecting  that  they  proceeded  from  a  desire  to  clear 
the  coast  of  Mabel's  suitor.  He  met  bad  reasons  by  good 
ones,  resisted  every  inducement  that  was  not  legitimate,  by 
his  intimate  acquaintance  with  his  peculiar  duties,  and  was 
blind,  as  usual,  to  the  influence  of  every  incentive  that  could 
not  stand  the  test  of  integrity.  He  did  not  exactly  suspect 
the  secret  objects  of  Muir,  but  he  was  far  from  being  blind  to 
his  sophistry.  The  result  was  that  the  two  parted,  after  a 
long  dialogue,  unconvinced  and  distrustful  of  each  other's 
motives,  though  the  distrust  of  the  guide,  like  all  that  was 
connected  with  the  man,  partook  of  his  own  upright,  disin 
terested  and  ingenuous  nature. 

A  conference  that  took  place,  soon  after,  between  Serjeant 
Dunham  and  the  lieutenant,  led  to  more  consequences.  When 
it  was  ended,  secret  orders  were  issued  to  the  men,  the  block 
house  was  taken  possession  of,  the  huts  were  occupied,  and 
one  accustomed  to  the  movements  of  soldiers,  might  have 
detected  that  an  expedition  was  in  the  wind.  In  fact,  just  as 
the  sun  was  setting,  the  serjeant,  who  had  been  much  oc 
cupied  at  what  was  called  the  harbour,  came  into  his  own 
hut,  followed  by  Pathfinder  and  Cap,  and  as  he  took  his  seat 
at  the  neat  table  that  Mabel  had  prepared  for  him,  he  opened 
the  budget  of  his  intelligence. 

"  You  are  likely  to  be  of  some  use,  here,  my  child ;"  the 
old  soldier  commenced,  "  as  this  tidy  and  well-ordered  supper 
can  testify;  and,  I  trust,  when  the  proper  moment  arrives, 
you  will  show  yourself  to  be  the  descendant  of  those  who 
know  how  to  face  their  enemies." 

"  You  do  not  expect  me,  dear  father,  to  play  Joan  of  Arc, 
and  to  lead  the  men  to  battle  ?" 

"  Play  whom,  child — did  you  ever  hear  of  the  person  Ma 
bcl  mentions,  Pathfinder?" 

"  Not  I,  sarjeant ;  but  what  of  that  ?  I  am  ignorant  and  un- 
edicated,  and  it  is  too  great  a  pleasure  to  me  to  listen  to  her 
voice  and  take  in  her  words,  to  be  particular  about  persons." 


THE  PATHFINDER..  309 

"  I  know  her,"  said  Cap,  decidedly ;  "  she  soiled  a  privateer 
out  of  Morlaix,  in  the  last  war ;  and  good  cruises  she  made 
of  them." 

Mabel  blushed  at  having  inadvertently  made  an  allusion 
that  went  beyond  her  father's  reading,  to  say  nothing  of  her 
uncle's  dogmatism;  and,  perhaps,  a  little  at  the  Pathfind 
er's  simple,  ingenuous  earnestness ;  but  she  did  not  forbear 
the  less  to  smile. 

"  Why,  father,  I.  am  not  expected  to  fall  in  with  the  men, 
and  to  help  defend  the  island  ?" 

"  And,  yet,  women  have  often  done  such  things,  in  this 
quarter  of  the  world,  girl,  as  our  friend,  the  Pathfinder,  here, 
will  tell  you.  But,  lest  you  should  be  surprised  at  not  seeing 
us,  when  you  awake  in  the  morning,  it  is  proper  that  I 
now  tell  you  we  intend  to  march  in  the  course  of  this  very 
night." 

"  We,  father — and  leave  me  and  Jennie  on  this  island 
alone !" 

"  No,  my  daughter,  not  quite  as  unmilitary  as  that.  Wo 
shall  leave  Lieutenant  Muir,  brother  Cap,  Corporal  McNab. 
and  three  men,  to  compose  the  garrison  during  our  absence. 
Jennie  will  remain  with  you  in  this  hut,  and  brother  Cap 
will  occupy  my  place." 

"  And  Mr.  Muir  ?"  said  Mabel,  half  unconscious  of  what 
she  uttered,  though  she  foresaw  a  great  deal  of  unpleasant 
persecution  in  the  arrangement. 

"  Why,  he  can  make  love  to  you,  if  you  like  it,  girl ;  for 
he  is  an  amorous  youth,  and  having  already  disposed  of  four 
wives,  is  impatient  to  show  how  much  he  honours  their  me 
mories,  by  taking  a  fifth." 

"  The  Quarter-Master  tells  me,"  said  Pathfinder,  innocent 
ly,  "  that  when  a  man's  feelings  have  been  harrowed  by  so 
many  losses,  there  is  no  wiser  way  to  soothe  them,  than  by 
ploughing  up  the  soil  anew,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  leave  no 
traces  of  what  have  gone  over  it  before." 

"  Ay,  that  is  just  the  difference  between  ploughing  and 
harrowing,"  returned  the  serjeaftt  with  a  grim  smile.  "  But 
let  him  tell  Mabel  his  mind,  and  there  will  be  an  end  of  his 
suit.  I  very  well  know  that  my  daughter  will  never  be  the 
wife  of  Lieutenant  Muir." 

This  was  said  in  a  way  that  was  tantamount  to  declaring 


310  THE    PATHFINDER. 

that  no  daughter  of  his,  ever  should  become  the  wife  of  the 
person  in  question.  Mabel  had  coloured,  trembled,  half 
laughed,  and  looked  uneasy  ;  but,  rallying  her  spirit,  she  said 
in  a  voice  so  cheerful  as  completely  to  conceal  her  agita 
tion — 

"  But,  father,  we  might  better  wait  until  Mr.  Muir  mani 
fests  a  wish  that  your  daughter  would  have  him — or  ratner 
a  wish  to  have  your  daughter,  lest  we  get  the  fable  of  sour 
grapes  thrown  into  our  faces." 

"  And  what  is  that  fable,  Mabel,"  eagerly  demanded  1  ath- 
finder,  who  was  any  thing  but  learned  in  the  ordinary  lore  of 
white  men — "  tell  it  to  us,  in  your  own  pretty  way ;  I  dare 
say  the  sarjeant  never  heard  it." 

Mabel  repeated  the  well-known  fable,  and  as  her  suitor 
had  desired,  in  her  own  pretty  way,  which  was  a  way  to 
Keep  his  eyes  riveted  on  her  face,  and  the  whole  of  his  honest 
countenance  covered  with  a  smile. 

"  That  was  like  a  fox !"  cried  Pathfinder,  when  she  had 
ceased,  "  ay,  and  like  a  Mingo,  too,  cunning  and  cruel ;  that 
is  the  way  with  both  the  riptyles.  As  to  grapes,  they  are 
sour  enough  in  this  part  of  the  country,  even  to  them  that 
can  get  at  them,  though  I  dare  say  there  are  seasons,  and 
times,  and  places,  where  they  are  sourer  to  them  that  can't. 
I  should  judge,  now,  my  scalp  is  very  sour  in  Mingo  eyes." 

"  The  sour  grapes  will  be  the  other  way,  child,  and  it  is 
Mr.  Muir  who  will  make  the  complaint.  You  would  never 
marry  that  man,  Mabel  ?" 

"  Not  she,"  put  in  Cap ;  "  a  fellow  who  is  only  half  a 
soldier,  after  all !  The  story  of  them  there  grapes  is  quite  a 
circumstance." 

"  I  think  little  of  marrying  any  one,  dear  father,  and  deal 
uncle,  and  would  rather  talk  about  it  less,  if  you  please 
But,  did  I  think  of  marrying  at  all,  I  do  believe  a  man  whose 
affections  have  already  been  tried  by  three  or  four  wives 
would  scarcely  be  my  choice." 

The  serjeant  nodded  at  the  guide,  as  much  as  to  say,  you 
see  how  the  land  lies ;  and  then  he  had  sufficient"  considera 
tion  for  his  daughter's  feelings  to  change  the  subject. 

"  Neither  you,  nor  Mabel,  brother  Cap,"  he  resumed,  *  can 
have  any  legal  authority  with  the  little  garrison  I  leave  be 
hind,  on  the  island ;  but  you  may  counsel  and  influence. 


THE   PATHF1NIER.  311 

Strictly  speaking,  Corporal  McNab  will  be  the  commanding 
officer,  and  I  have  endeavoured  to  impress  him  with  a  sense 
of  his  dignity,  lest  he  might  give  way  too  much  to  the  supe 
rior  rank  of  Lieutenant  Muir,  who,  being  a  volunteer,  can 
have  no  right  to  interfere  with  the  duty.  I  wish  you  to  sus 
tain  the  corporal,  brother  Cap,  for  should  the  Quarter-Master 
once  break  through  the  regulations  of  the  expedition,  he  may 
pretend  to  command  me,  as  well  as  McNab." 

"  More  particularly,  should  Mabel  really  cut  him  adrift, 
while  you  are  absent.  Of  course,  serjeant,  you  '11  leave 

every  thing  that  is  afloat,  under  my  care  ?  The  most  d le 

confusion  has  grown  out  of  misunderstandings  between  com- 
manders-in-chief,  ashore  and  afloat." 

"  In  one  sense,  brother,  though,  in  a  general  way,  the  cor 
poral  is  commander-in-chief.  History  does  indeed  tell  us 
that  a  division  of  command  leads  to  difficulties,  and  I  shall 
avoid  that  danger.  The  corporal  must  command,  but  you 
can  counsel  freely,  particularly  in  all  matters  relating  to  the 
boats,  of  which  I  shall  leave  one  behind,  to  secure  your  re 
treat  should  there  be  occasion.  I  know  the  corporal  well ; 
he  is  a  brave  man,  and  a  good  soldier ;  and  one  that  may  be 
relied  on,  if  the  Santa  Cruz  can  be  kept  from  him.  But  then 
he  is  a  Scotchman,  and  will  be  liable  to  the  Quarter-Master's 
influence,  against  which  I  desire  both  you  and  Mabel  to  be 
on  your  guard." 

"  But  why  leave  us  behind,  dear  father  1  I  have  come 
thus  far  to  be  a  comfort  to  you,  and  why  not  go  farther?" 

"  You  are  a  good  girl,  Mabel,  and  very  like  the  Dunhams  ! 
But  you  must  halt  here.  We  shall  leave  the  island  to-mor 
row,  before  the  day  dawns,  in  order  not  to  be  seen  by  any 
prying  eyes,  coming  from  our  cover,  and  we  shall  take  the 
two  largest  boats,  leaving  you  the  other,  and  one  bark  canoe. 
We  are  about  to  go  into  the  channel  used  by  the  French, 
where  we  shall  lie  in  wait,  perhaps  a  week,  to  intercept  their 
supply-boats  that  are  about  to  pass  up,  on  their  way  to 
Frontenac,  loaded,  in  particular,  with  a  heavy  amount  of 
Indian  goods." 

"  Have  you  looked  well  to  your  papers,  brother  ?"  Cap 
anxiously  demanded.  "  Of  course,  you  know  a  capture  on 
the  high  seas  is  piracy,  unless  your  boat  is  regularily  commis- 
sioned,  either  as  a  public,  or  a  private  armed  cruiser." 


312  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  hold  the  colonel's  appointment  as 
Serjeant-Major  of  the  55th,"  returned  the  other,  drawing 
himself  up  with  dignity,  "  and  that  will  be  sufficient  even  for 
the  French  King.  If  not,  I  have  Major  Duncan's  written 
orders." 

"  No  papers  them,  for  a  warlike  cruiser." 

"  They  must  suffice,  brother,  as  I  have  no  other.  It  is  of 
vast  importance  to  His  Majesty's  interests,  in  this  part  of  the 
world,  that  the  boats  in  question  should  be  captured  and  car 
ried  into  Oswego.  They  contain  the  blankets,  trinkets,  rifles, 
ammunition, — in  short,  all  the  stores  with  which  the  French 
bribe  their  accursed  savage  allies  to  commit  their  unholy 
acts,  setting  at  naught  our  holy  religion  and  its  precepts,  the 
laws  of  humanity,  and  all  that  is  sacred  and  dear  among 
men.  By  cutting  off  these  supplies,  we  shall  derange  their 
plans,  and  gain  time  on  them ;  for  the  articles  cannot  be  sent 
across  the  ocean  again,  this  autumn." 

"  But,  father,  does  not  his  Majesty  employ  Indians,  also  ?" 
asked  Mabel,  with  some  curiosity. 

"  Certainly,  girl,  and  he  has  a  right  to  employ  them — God 
bless  him  !  It 's  a  very  different  thing,  whether  an  English 
man  or  a  Frenchman  employs  a  savage,  as  every  body  can 
understand." 

"  That  is  plain  enough,  brother  Dunham ;  but  I  do  not 
see  my  way  so  clear,  in  the  matter  of  the  ship's  papers." 

"  An  English  colonel's  appointment  ought  to  satisfy  any 
Frenchman  of  my  authority ;  and  what  is  more,  brother,  it 
shall." 

"  But  I  do  not  see  the  difference,  father,  between  an  Eng 
lishman's  and  a  Frenchman's  employing  savages  in  war  ?" 

"  All  the  odds  in  the  world,  child,  though  you  may  not  be 
able  to  see  it.  In  the  first  place,  an  Englishman  is  naturally 
humane  and  considerate,  while  a  Frenchman  is  naturally 
ferocious  and  timid." 

"  And  you  may  add,  brother,  that  he  will  dance  from 
morning  till  night,  if  you  '11  let  him." 

"  Very  true,"  gravely  returned  the  serjeant. 

"  But,  father,  I  cannot  see  that  all  this  alters  the  case.  If 
i*.  be  wrong  in  a  Frenchman  to  hire  savages  to  fight  his  ene 
mies,  it  would  seem  to  be  equally  wrong  in  an  Englishman. 
You  will  admit  this,  Pathfinder?" 


THE    PATHFINDER.  313 

'  "  It 's  reasonable; — it 's  reasonable,  and  I  have  never  been 
one  of  them  that  has  raised  a  cry  ag'in  the  Frenchers  for 
doing  the  very  thing  we  do  ourselves.  Still,  it  is  worse  to 
consort  with  a  Mingo,  than  to  consort  with  a  Delaware.  If 
any  of  that  just  tribe  were  left,  I  should  think  it  no  sin  to 
send  them  out  ag'in  the  foe," 

"  And  yet  they  scalp,  and  slay  young  and  old — women 
and  children !" 

"  They  have  their  gifts,  Mabel,  and  are  not  to  be  blamed  for 
following  them.  Natur'  is  natur',  though  the  different  tribes 
have  different  ways  of  showing  it.  For  my  part,  I  am  white, 
and  endeavour  to  maintain  white  feelings." 

"  This  is  all  unintelligible  to  me,"  answered  Mabel.  "  What 
is  right  in  King  George,  it  would  seem,  ought  to  be  right  in 
King  Louis." 

"  The  King  of  France's  real  name  is  Caput,"  observed 
Cap,  with  his  mouth  full  of  venison.  "  I  once  carried  a  great 
scholar,  as  a  passenger,  and  he  told  me  that  these  Lewises 
thirteenth,  fourteenth,  and  fifteenth,  were  all  humbugs,  and 
that  the  men's  real  name  was  Caput ;  which  is  French  for 
1  head ;'  meaning  that  they  ought  to  be  put  at  the  foot  of  the 
ladder,  until  ready  to  go  up  to  be  hanged." 

"  Well,  this  does  look  like  being  given  to  scalping,  as  a 
nat'ral  gift,"  Pathfinder  remarked,  with  the  air  of  surprise 
with  which  one  receives  a  novel  idea,  "  and  I  shall  have  less 
compunction  than  ever  in  sarving  ag'in  the  miscreants, 
though  I  can't  say  I  ever  yet  felt  any  worth  naming." 

As  all  parties,  Mabel  excepted,  seemed  satisfied  with  the 
course  the  discussion  had  taken,  no  one  appeared  to  think  it 
necessary  to  pursue  the  subject.  The  trio  of  men,  indeed,  in 
this  particular,  so  much  resembled  the  great  mass  of  their 
fellow-creatures,  who  usually  judge  of  character  equally 
without  knowledge  and  without  justice,  that  we  might  not 
have  thought  it  necessary  to  record  the  discourse,  had  it  not 
some  bearing  in  its  facts  on  the  incidents  of  the  legend,  and 
in  its  opinions  on  the  motives  of  the  characters. 

Supper  was  no  sooner  ended,  than  the  serjearit  dismissed 
his  guests,  and  then  held  a  long  and  confidential  dialogue 
with  his  daughter.  He  was  little  addicted  to  giving  way  to 
the  gentler  emotions,  but  the  novelty  of  his  present  situation 
awakened  feelings  that  he  was  unused  to  experience.  The* 
27 


314  THE    PATHFINDER. 

soldier,  or  the  sailor,  so  long  as  he  acts  under  the  immediate 
supervision  of  a  superior,  thinks  little  of  the  risks  he  runs  * 
but  the  moment  he  feels  the  responsibility  of  command,  all 
the  hazards  of  his  undertaking  begin  to  associate  themselves 
in  his  mind,  with  the  chances  of  success  or  failure.  While 
he  dwells  less  on  his  own  personal  danger,  perhaps,  than 
when  that  is  the  principal  consideration,  he  has  more  lively 
general  perceptions  of  all  the  risks,  and  submits  more  to  the 
influence  of  the  feelings  which  doubt  creates.  Such  was  now 
the  case  with  Serjeant  Dunham,  who,  instead  of  looking  for 
ward  to  victory  as  certain,  according  to  his  usual  habits, 
began  to  feel  the  possibility  that  he  might  be  parting  with 
his  child  for  ever. 

Never  before  had  Mabel  struck  him  as  so  beautiful,  as  she 
appeared  that  night.  Possibly  she  never  had  displayed  so 
many  engaging  qualities  to  her  father ;  for  concern  on  his 
account  had  begun  to  be  active  in  her  breast,  and  then  her 
sympathies  met  with  unusual  encouragement,  through  those 
which  had  been  stirred  up  in  the  sterner  bosom  of  the  vete  • 
ran.  She  had  never  been  entirely  at  her  ease  with  her 
parent,  the  great  superiority  of  her  education  creating  a  sort 
of  chasm,  which  had  been  widened  by  the  military  severity 
of  manner  he  had  acquired,  by  dealing  so  long  and  intimately 
with  beings  who  could  only  be  kept  in  subjection  by  an 
unremitted  discipline.  On  the  present  occasion,  however,  or 
after  they  were  left  alone,  the  conversation  between  the  father 
and  daughter  became  more  confidential  than  usual,  until  Mabel 
rejoiced  to  find  that  it  was  gradually  becoming  endearing : 
a  state  of  feeling  that  the  warm-hearted  girl  had  silently 
pined  for  in  vain,  ever  since  her  arrival. 

"  Then,  mother  was  about  my  height?"  Mabel  said,  as  she 
held  one  of  her  father's  hands  in  both  her  own,  looking  up 
!nto  his  face  with  humid  eyes.  "  I  had  thought  her  taller." 

"  That  is  the  way  with  most  children,  who  get  a  habit  of 
thinking  of  their  parents  with  respect,  until  they  fancy  them 
larger  and  more  commanding  than  they  actually  are.  Your 
mother,  Mabel,  was  as  near  your  height,  as  one  woman  could 
be  to  another." 

"  And  her  eyes,  father?" 

"  Her  eyes  were  like  thine,  child,  too — blue  and  soil,  and 
inviting  like ;  though  hardly  so  laughing." 


THE    PATHFINDER.  315 

"  Mine  will  never  laugh  again,  dearest  father,  if  you  do 
not  take  care  of  yourself  in  this  expedition." 

'«  Thank  you,  Mabel — hem — thank  you,  child  ;  but  I  mast 
do  my  duty.  I  wish  I  had  seen  you  comfortably  married 
before  we  left  Oswego ! — my  mind  would  be  easier." 

"  Married  ! — to  whom,  father  ?" 

"  You  know  the  man  I  wish  you  to  love.  You  may  meet 
with  many  gayer,  and  many  dressed  in  finer  clothes;  but  with 
none  with  so  true  a  heart,  and  just  a  mind." 

"None,  father?" 

"  I  know  of  none ;  in  these  particulars,  Pathfinder  has  few 
equals,  at  least." 

"  But  I  need  not  marry  at  all.  You  are  single,  and  I  can 
remain  to  take  care  of  you." 

"  God  bless  you,  Mabel ! — I  know  you  would,  and  I  do 
not  say  that  the  feeling  is  not  right,  for  I  suppose  it  is ;  and 
yet  I  believe  there  is  another,  that  is  more  so." 

"  What  can  be  more  right  than  to  honour  one's  parents  ?'' 

"  It  is  just  as  right  to  honour  one's  husband,  my  dear  child." 

"  But  I  have  no  husband,  father." 

"  Then  take  one,  as  soon  as  possible,  that  you  may  have 
a  husband  to  honour.  I  cannot  live  for  ever,  Mabel,  but  must 
drop  off  in  the  course  of  nature,  ere  long,  if  I  am  not  carried 
off  in  the  course  of  war.  You  are  young,  and  may  yel  live 
long ;  and  it  is  proper  that  you  should  have  a  male  protector, 
who  can  see  you  safe  through  life,  and  take  care  of  you  in 
age,  as  you  now  wish  to  take  care  of  me." 

"  And  do  you  think,  father — "  said  Mabel,  playing  with 
his  sinewy  fingers,  with  her  own  little  hands,  and  looking 
down  at  them,  as  if  they  were  subjects  of  intense  interest, 
though  her  lips  curled  in  a  slight  smile,  as  the  words  came 
from  them — "  and  do  you  think,  father,  that  Pathfinder  is 
just  the  man  to  do  this  ? — Is  he  not,  within  ten  or  twelve 
years,  as  old  as  yourself?" 

* !  What  of  that  ? — His  life  has  been  one  of  moderation  and 
exercise,  and  years  are  less  to  be  counted,  girl,  than  consti 
tution.  Do  you  know  another  more  likely  to  be  your  pro 
tector?" 

Mabel  did  not ;  at  least  another  who  had  expressed  a  de 
sire  to  that  effect,  whatever  might  have  been  her  hopes  and 
her  wishes. 


316 


THE  PATHFINDER. 


"  Nay,  father,  we  are  not  talking  of  another,  but  of  thd 
Pathfinder,"  she  answered  evasively.  "  If  he  were  younger, 
I  think  it  would  be  more  natural  for  me  to  think  of  him  for 
a  husband." 

"  'Tis  all  in  the  constitution,  I  tell  you,  child  :  Pathfinder 
is  a  younger  man  than  half  our  subalterns." 

"  He  is  certainly  younger  than  one,  sir — Lieutenant  Muir.n 

Mabel's  laugh  was  joyous  and  light-hearted,  as  if  just  then 
she  felt  no  carq 

"  That  he  is — young  enough  to  be  his  grandson — he  is 
younger  in  years  too.  God  forbid,  Mabel !  that  you  should 
ever  become  an  officer's  lady,  at  least  until  you  are  an  offi 
cer's  daughter." 

"  There  will  be  little  fear  of  that,  father,  if  I  marry  Path- 
finder !"  returned  the  girl,  looking  up  archly  in  the  Serjeant's 
face  again. 

"  Not  by  the  King's  commission,  perhaps,  though  the  man 
is  even  now  the  friend  and  companion  of  generals.  I  think 
I  could  die  happy,  Mabel,  if  you  were  his  wife." 

•'Father!" 

"  'T  is  a  sad  thing  to  go  into  battle,  with  the  weight  of  an 
unprotected  daughter  laid  upon  the  heart." 

"  I  would  give  the  world  to  lighten  yours  of  its  load,  my 
dear  sir !" 

"  It  might  be  done — "  said  the  serjeant,  looking  fondly  at 
his  child,  "  though  I  could  not  wish  to  put  a  burthen  on 
yours,  in  order  to  do  so." 

The  voice  was  deep  and  tremulous,  and  never  before  had 
Mabel  witnessed  such  a  show  of  affection  in  her  parent.  The 
habitual  sternness  of  the  man,  lent  an  interest  to  his  emo 
tions,  that  they  might  otherwise  have  wanted,  and  the  daugh 
ter's  heart  yearned  to  relieve  the  father's  mind. 

"  Father,  speak  plainly,"  she  cried,  almost  convulsively. 

"Nay,  Mabel,  it  might  not  be  right — your  wishes  and 
mine  may  be  very  different." 

"  I  have  no  wishes — know  nothing  of  what  you  mean- 
would  you  speak  of  my  future  marriage  ?" 

"  If  I  could  see  you  promised  to  Pathfinder — know  that 
you  were  pledged  to  become  his  wife,  let  my  own  fate  be 
what  it  might,  I  think  I  could  die  happy.  But  I  will  ask 
no  pledge  of  you,  my  child — I  will  not  force  you  to  do 


THE   PATHFINDER.  317 

what  you  might  repent.  Kiss  me,  Mabel,  and  go  to  your 
bed." 

Had  Serjeant  Dunham  exacted  of  Mabel  the  pledge  that 
he  really  so  much  desired,  he  would  have  encountered  a 
resistance  that  he  might  have  found  difficult  to  overcome ;  but, 
by  letting  nature  have  its  course,  he  enlisted  a  powerful  ally 
on  his  side,  and  the  warm-hearted,  generous-minded  Mabel 
was  ready  to  concede  to  her  affections,  much  more  than  she 
would  ever  have  yielded  to  menace.  At  that  touching  mo 
ment  she  thought  only  of  her  parent,  who  was  about  to  quit 
her,  perhaps  for  ever ;  and  all  of  that  ardent  love  for  him, 
which  had  possibly  been  as  much  fed  by  the  imagination  as 
by  any  thing  else,  but  which  had  received  a  little  check  by 
the  restrained  intercourse  of  the  last  fortnight,  now  return 
ed  with  a  force  that  was  increased  by  pure  and  intense  feel 
ing.  Her  father  seemed  all  in  all  to  her,  and  to  render  him 
happy,  there  was  no  proper  sacrifice  that  she  was  not  ready 
to  make.  One  painful,  rapid,  almost  wild  gleam  of  thought 
shot  across  the  brain  of  the  girl,  and  her  resolution  wavered ; 
but  endeavouring  to  trace  the  foundation  of  the  pleasing  hope 
on  which  it  was  based,  she  found  nothing  positive  to  support 
it.  Trained  like  a  woman,  to  subdue  her  most  ardent  feel 
ings,  her  thoughts  reverted  to  her  father,  and  to  the  blessings 
that  awaited  the  child  who  yielded  to  a  parent's  wishes. 

"  Father,"  she  said  quietly,  almost  with  a  holy  calm — 
"  God  blesses  the  dutiful  daughter !" 

"  He  will,  Mabel ;  we  have  the  good  book  for  that." 

"  I  will  marry  whomever  you  desire." 

"Nay — nay,  Mabel — you  may  have  a  choice  of  your 
own" — 

"  I  have  no  choice — that  is — none  have  asked  me  to  have 
a  choice,  but  Pathfinder  and  Mr.  Muir ;  and  between  them, 
neither  of  us  would  hesitate.  No,  father;  I  will  marry 
whomever  you  may  choose." 

"  Thou  knowest  my  choice,  beloved  child  ;  none  other  can 
make  thee  as  happy,  as  the  noble-hearted  guide." 

"  Well  then,  if  he  wish  it — if  he  ask  me  again — for,  father, 
you  would  not  have  me  offer  myself,  or  that  any  one  should 
do  that  office  for  me"-— and  the  blood  stole  across  the  pallid 
cheeks  of  Mabel,  as  she  spoke,  for  high  and  generous  resolu 
tions  had  driven  back  the  stream  of  life  to  her  heart, — "  no 
27* 


318  THE    PATHFINDER. 

one  must  speak  to  him  of  it ;  but  if  he  seek  me  again,  and, 
knowing  all  that  a  true  girl  ought  to  tell  the  man  she  mar 
ries,  and  he  then  wishes  to  make  me  his  wife,  I  will  be  his.'7 

"  Bless  you,  my  Mabel — God  in  heaven  bless  you,  and 
reward  you  as  a  pious  daughter  deserves  to  be  rewarded." 

"  Yes,  father — put  your  mind  at  peace — go  on  this  expe 
dition  with  a  light  heart,  and  trust  in  God.  For  me,  you 
will  have,  now,  no  care.  In  the  spring — I  must  have  a  little 
time,  father — but,  in  the  spring,  I  will  marry  Pathfinder,  if 
that  noble-hearted  hunter  shall  then  desire  it." 

"  Mabel,  he  loves  you  as  I  loved  your  mother.  I  have 
seen  him  weep  like  a  child,  when  speaking  of  his  feelings 
towards  you." 

"  Yes,  I  believe  it — I  've  seen  enough  to  satisfy  me,  that 
he  thinks  better  of  me  than  I  deserve ;  and  certainly  the  man 
is  not  living  for  whom  I  have  more  respect,  than  for  Path 
finder  ;  not  even  for  you,  dear  father." 

"  That  is  as  it  should  be,  child,  and  the  union  will  be 
blessed.  May  I  not  tell  Pathfinder  this  ?" 

"  I  would  rather  you  would  not,  father.  Let  it  come  of 
itself — corne  naturally — the  man  should  seek  the  woman, 
and  not  the  woman  the  man — "  The  smile  that  illuminated 
Mabel's  handsome  face,  was  angelic,  as  even  her  parent 
thought,  though  one  better  practised  in  detecting  the  passing 
emotions,  as  they  betray  themselves  in  the  countenance,  might 
have  traced  something  wild  and  unnatural  in  it — "  No — 
no — we  must  let  things  take  their  course ;  father,  you  have 
my  solemn  promise." 

"  That  will  do — that  will  do,  Mabel ;  now  kiss  me — God 
bless  and  protect  you,  girl — you  are  a  good  daughter." 

Mabel  threw  herself  into  her  father's  arms, — it  was  the  first 
time  in  her  life, — and  sobbed  on  his  bosom  like  an  infant. 
The  stern  soldier's  heart  was  melted,  and  the  tears  of  the 
two  mingled :  but  Serjeant  Dunham  soon  started,  as  if 
ashamed  of  himself,  and  gently  forcing  his  daughter  from 
him,  he  bade  her  good  night,  and  sought  his  pallet.  Mabel 
went  sobbing  to  the  rude  corner  that  had  been  prepared  for 
her  reception,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  hut  was  undisturbed 
by  any  sound,  save  the  heavy  breathing  of  the  veteran. 


THE  PATHFINDER.  319 


CHAPTER  XX. 

*  Wandering,  I  found  on  my  ruinous  walk, 
By  the  dial  stone,  aged  and  green, 
One  rose  of  the  wilderness,  left  on  its  stalk, 
To  mark  where  a  garden  had  been." 

CAMPBELL. 

IT  was  not  only  broad  day-light,  when  Mabel  awoke,  but 
liie  sun  had  actually  been  up  some  time.  Her  sleep  had 
oeen  tranquil,  for  she  rested  on  an  approving  conscience,  and 
fatigue  contributed  to  render  it  sweet ;  and  no  sound  of  those 
who  had  been  so  early  in  motion,  had  interfered  with  her 
rest.  Springing  to  her  feet,  and  rapidly  dressing  herself,  the 
girl  was  soon  breathing  the  fragrance  of  the  morning,  in  the 
open  air.  For  the  first  time,  she  was  sensibly  struck  with 
the  singular  beauties,  as  well  as  with  the  profound  retirement 
of  her  present  situation.  The  day  proved  to  be  one  of  those 
of  the  autumnal  glory,  so  common  to  a  climate  that  is  more 
abused  than  appreciated,  and  its  influence  was  every  way  in 
spiriting  and  genial.  Mabel  was  benefited  by  this  circum 
stance,  for,  as  she  fancied,  her  heart  was  heavy  on  account 
of  the  dangers  to  which  a  father,  whom  she  now  began  to 
love,  as  women  love,  when  confidence  is  created.  ^IfxJV 

But  the  island  seemed  absolutely  deserted.  The  previous 
night,  the  bustle  of  the  arrival  had  given  the  spot  an  appear 
ance  of  life  that  was  now  entirely  gone,  and  our  heroine  had 
turned  her  eyes  nearly  around  on  every  object  in  sight,  before 
she  caught  a  view  of  a  single  human  being  to  remove  the  sense 
of  utter  solitude.  Then,  indeed,  she  beheld  all  who  were 
left  behind,  collected  in  a  group,  around  a  fire  which  might 
.  be  said  to  belong  to  the  camp.  The  person  of  her  uncle,  to 
whom  she  was  so  much  accustomed,  reassured  the  girl,  and 
she  examined  the  remainder,  with  a  curiosity  natural  to  her 
situation.  Besides  Cap,  and  the  Quarter-Master,  there  were 
the  corporal,  the  three  soldiers,  and  the  woman  who  was 
cooking.  The  huts  were  silent  and  empty,  and  the  low.  but 
tower-like  summit  of  the  block-house,  rose  above  the  bushes, 
by  which  it  was  half  concealed,  ii..  picturesque  beauty.  The 
pua  was  just  easting  its  brightness  into  tho  open  places  of  the 


320 


THE    PATHFINDER. 


glade,  and  the  vault,  over  her  head,  was  impending  in  the 
soft  sublimity  of  the  blue  void.  Not  a  cloud  was  visible,  and 
she  secretly  fancied  the  circumstance  might  be  taken  as  a 
harbinger  of  peace  and  security. 

Perceiving  that  all  the  others  were  occupied  with  that  great 
concern  of  human  nature,  a  breakfast,  Mabel  walked,  unob 
served,  towards  an  end  of  the  island,  where  she  was  com 
pletely  shut  out  of  view,  by  the  trees  and  bushes.  Here  she 
got  a  stand  on  the  very  edge  of  the  water,  by  forcing  aside 
the  low  branches,  and  stood  watching  the  barely  perceptible 
flow  and  re-flow  of  the  miniature  waves  that  laved  the  shore ; 
a  sort  of  physical  echo  to  the  agitation  that  prevailed  on  the 
lake,  fifty  miles  above  her.  The  glimpses  of  natural  scenery 
that  offered,  were  very  soft  and  pleasing ;  and,  our  heroine, 
who  had  a  quick  and  true  eye  for  all  that  was  lovely  in  na 
ture,  was  not  slow  in  selecting  the  most  striking  bits  of  land 
scape.  She  gazed  through  the  different  vistas  formed  by  the 
openings  between  the  islands,  and  thought  she  had  never  look 
ed  on  aught  more  lovely. 

While  thus  occupied,  Mabel  was  suddenly  alarmed  by  fan 
cying  that  she  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  human  form,  among  the 
bushes  that  lined  the  shore  of  the  island  that  lay  directly  be 
fore  her.  The  distance  across  the  water  was  not  a  hundred 
yards,  and  though  she  might  be  mistaken,  aad  her  fancy  was 
wandering  when  the  form  passed  before  her  sight,  still  she 
did  not  think  she  could  be  deceived.  Aware  that  her  sex 
would  be  no  protection  against  a  rifle-bullet,  should  an  Iro- 
quois  get  a  view  of  her,  the  girl  instinctively  drew  back, 
taking  care  to  conceal  her  person  as  much  as  possible  by 
the  leaves,  while  she  kept  her  own  look  riveted  on  the  opposite 
shore,  vainly  waiting  for  some  time,  in  the  expectation  of 
the  stranger.  She  was  about  to  quit  her  post  in  the  bushes, 
and  hasten  to  her  uncle  in  order  to  acquaint  him  of  her  sus» 
picions,  when  she  saw  the  branch  of  an  alder  thrust  beyond 
the  fringe  of  bushes,  on  the  other  island,  and  waved  toward 
her  significantly,  and,  as  she  fancied  in  token  of  amity.  This 
was  a  breathless  and  a  trying  moment,  to  oae  as  inexpe 
rienced  in  frontier  warfare  as  our  heroine,  and  yet  she  felt 
the  great  necessity  that  existed  for  preserving  her  recollection, 
and  of  acting  with  steadiness  and  discretion. 

It  was  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  exposure  to  which 


THE   PATHFINDER.  321 

those  who  dwelt  on  the  frontiers  of  America  were  liable,  to 
bring  out  the  moral  qualities  of  the  women  to  a  degree  that 
they  must  themselves,  under  other  circumstances,  have  believ 
ed  they  were  incapable  of  manifesting ;  and  Mabel  well  knew 
that  the  borderers  loved  to  dwell,  in  their  legends,  on  the  pre 
sence  of  mind,  fortitude,  and  spirit  that  their  wives  and  sis 
ters  had  displayed,  under  circumstances  the  most  trying. 
Her  emulation  had  been  awakened  by  what  she  had  heard 
on  such  subjects ;  and  it  at  once  struck  her,  that  now  was 
the  moment  for  her  to  show  that  she  was  truly  Serjeant 
Dunham's  child.  The  motion  of  the  branch  was  such  as, 
she  believed,  indicated  amity ;  and,  after  a  moment's  hesita- 
tation,  she  broke  off  a  twig,  fastened  it  to  a  stick,  and,  thrust 
ing  it  through  an  opening,  waved  it  in  return,  imitating,  as 
closely  as  possible,  the  manner  of  the  other. 

This  dumb  show  lasted  two  or  three  minutes  on  both 
sides,  when  Mabel  perceived  that  the  bushes  opposite  were 
cautiously  pushed  aside,  and  a  human  face  appeared-at  an 
opening.  A  glance  sufficed  to  let  Mabel  see  that  it  was  the 
countenance  of  a  red-skin,  as  well  as  that  of  a  woman.  A 
second  and  a  better  look  satisfied  her  that  it  was  the  face  of  the 
Dew  of  June,  the  wife  of  Arrowhead.  During  the  time  she  had 
travelled  in  company  with  this  woman,  Mabel  had  been  won 
by  the  gentleness  of  manner,  the  meek  simplicity,  and  the 
mingled  awe  and  affection  with  which  she  regarded  her  hus 
band.  Once  or  twice,  in  the  course  of  the  journey,  she 
fancied  the  Tuscarora  had  manifested  towards  herself  an  un 
pleasant  degree  of  attention  ;  and  on  those  occasions,  it  had 
struck  her,  that  his  wife  exhibited  sorrow  and  mortification 
As  Mabel,  however,  had  more  than  compensated  for  any  pain 
she  might,  in  this  way,  unintentionally  have  caused  her  com 
panion,  by  her  own  kindness  of  manner  and  attentions,  the 
woman  had  shown  much  attachment  to  her,  and  they  had 
parted,  with  a  deep  conviction  on  the  mind  of  our  heroine, 
that  in  the  Dew  of  June  she  had  lost  a  friend. 

It  is  useless  to  attempt  to  analyze  all  the  ways  by  which 
the  human  heart  is  led  into  confidence.  Such  a  feeling, 
however,  had  the  young  Tuscarora  woman  awakened  in  the 
breast  of  our  heroine ;  and  the  latter,  under  the  impression 
that  this  extraordinary  visit  was  intended  for  her  own  good, 
felt  every  disposition  to  have  a  closer  communication.  She 


322  THE   PATHFINDER. 

no  longer  hesitated  about  showing  herself  clear  of  the  bushes, 
and  was  not  sorry  to  see  the  Dew  of  June  imitate  her  confi 
dence,  by  stepping  fearlessly  out  of  her  own  cover.  The 
two  girls,  for  the  Tuscarora,  though  married,  was  even 
younger  than  Mabel,  now  openly  exchanged  signs  of  friend 
ship,  and  the  latter  beckoned  to  her  friend  to  approach, 
though  she  knew  not  the  manner,  herself,  in  which  this  ob 
ject  could  be  effected.  But  the  Dew  of  June  was  not  slow  in 
letting  it  be  seen  that  it  was  in  her  power ;  for,  disappearing 
a  moment,  she  soon  showed  herself  again  in  the  end  of  a  bark 
canoe,  the  bows  of  which  she  had  drawn  to  the  edge  of  the 
bushes,  and  of  which  the  body  still  lay  in  a  sort  of  covered 
creek.  Mabel  was  about  to  invite  her  to  cross,  when  her 
own  name  was  called  aloud,  in  the  stentorian  voice  of  her 
uncle.  Making  a  hurried  gesture  for  the  Tuscarora  girl  to 
conceal  herself,  Mabel  sprang  from  the  bushes,  and  tripped 
up  the  glade  towards  the  sound,  and  perceived  that  the  whole 
party  had  just  seated  themselves  at  breakfast ;  Cap  having 
barely  put  his  appetite  under  sufficient  restraint  to  summon 
her  to  join  them.  That  this  was  the  most  favourable  instant 
for  the  interview  flashed  on  the  mind  of  Mabel ;  and,  ex 
cusing  herself  on  the  plea  of  not  being  prepared  for  the 
meal,  she  bounded  back  to  the  thicket,  and  soon  renewed  her 
communications  with  the  young  Indian  woman. 

Dew  of  June  was  quick  of  comprehension ;  and  with  half- 
a-dozen  noiseless  strokes  of  the  paddles,  her  canoe  was  con 
cealed  in  the  bushes  of  Station  Island.  In  another  minute, 
Mabel  held  her  hand,  and  was  leading  her  through  the  grove 
towards  her  own  hut.  Fortunately,  the  latter  was  so  placed 
as  to  be  completely  hid  from  the  sight  of  those  at  the  fire, 
and  they  both  entered  it  unseen.  Hastily  explaining  to  her 
guest,  in  the  best  manner  she  could,  the  necessity  of  quitting 
her  for  a  short  time,  Mabel,  first  placing  the  Dew  of  June  in 
her  own  room,  with  a  full  certainty  that  she  would  riot  quit 
it  until  told  to  do  so,  went  to  the  fire,  and  took  her  seat 
among  the  rest,  with  all  the  composure  it  was  in  her  power 
to  command. 

"  Late  come,  late  served,  Mabel,"  said  her  uncle,  between 
two  mouthfuls  of  broiled  salmon,  for  though  the  cookery 
might  be  very  unsophisticated  on  that  remote  frontier,  the 


THE   PATHFINDER.  323 

vinnds  were  generally  delicious ;  "  late  come,  late  served :  r 
is  a  good  rule,  and  keeps  laggards  up  to  their  work." 

"  I  am  no  laggard,  'ancle,  for  I  have  been  stirring  near  an 
hour,  and  exploring  our  island." 

"  It's  little  you'll  make  o'  that,  Mistress  Mabel,"  put  in 
Muir,  "  that's  little  by  nature.  Lundie,  or  it  might  be  bettei 
to  style  him  Major  Duncan  in  this  presence" — this  was  said 
in  consideration  of  the  corporal  and  the  common  men,  though 
they  were  taking  their  meal  a  little  apart — "  it  might  be  bet 
ter  to  style  him  Major  Duncan  in  this  presence,  has  not  added 
an  empire  to  his  Majesty's  dominions  in  getting  possession 
of  this  island,  which  is  likely  to  equal  that  of  the  celebrated 
Sancho,  in  revenues  and  profits — Sancho  of  whom,  doubt 
less,  Master  Cap,  you'll  often  have  been  reading  in  your  lei 
sure  hours,  more  especially  in  calms,  and  moments  of  inac 
tivity." 

"I  know  the  spot  you  mean,  Quarter-Master;  Sancho's 
Island — coral  rock,  of  new  formation,  and  as  bad  a  landfall, 
in  a  dark  night  and  blowing  weather,  as  a  sinner  could  wish 
to  keep  clear  of.  It's  a  famous  place  for  cocoa-nuts  and  bit 
ter  water,  that  Sancho's  Island  !" 

"  It's  no  very  famous  for  dinners,"  returned  Muir,  repress 
ing  the  smile  that  was  struggling  to  his  lips,  out  of  respect  to 
Mabel,  "  nor  do  I  think  there'll  be  much  to  choose  between 
its  revenue  and  that  of  this  spot.  In  my  judgment,  Master 
Cap,  this  is  a  very  unmilitary  position,  and  I  look  to  some 
calamity's  befalling  it,  sooner  or  later." 

"  It  is  to  be  hoped  not  until  our  turn  of  duty  is  over,"  ob- 
rerved  Mabel.  "  I  have  no  wish  to  study  the  French  lan 
guage." 

"  We  might  think  ourselves  happy,  did  it  not  prove  to  be 
the  Iroquois.  I  have  reasoned  with  Major  Duncan  on  the 
occupation  of  this  position,  but  *  a  wilfu'  man  maun  ha'  his 
way.'  My  first  object,  in  accompanying  this  party, "was  to 
endeavour  to  make  myself  acceptable  and  useful  to  your 
beautiful  niece,  Master  Cap ;  and  the  second  was  to  take  such 
an  account  of  the  stores  that  belong  to  my  particular  depart 
ment,  as  shall  leave  no  question  open  to  controversy,  con 
cerning  the  manner  of  expenditure,  when  they  shall  have 
disappeared  by  means  of  the  enemy." 

"  Do  you  look  upon  matters  as  so  serious  ?"  demanded 


324  THE    PATHFINDER. 

Cap,  actually  suspending  his  mastication  of  a  bit  of  venison, 
for  he  passed  alternately,  like  a  modern  elegant,  from  fish 
to  flesh  and  back  again,  in  the  interest  he  took  in  the  answer. 
•'  Is  the  danger  pressing  ?" 

"  I'll  no  say  just  that ;  and  I'll  no  say,  just  the  contrary. 
There  is  always  danger  in  war,  and  there  is  more  of  it  at 
the  advanced  posts  than  at  the  main  encampment.  It  ought, 
therefore,  to  occasion  no  surprise  were  we  to  be  visited  by 
the  French,  at  any  moment." 

"  And  what  the  devil  is  to  be  done  in  that  case? — Six  men 
and  two  women  would  make  but  a  poor  job,  in  defending 
such  a  place  as  this,  should  the  enemy  invade  us,  as  no 
doubt,  Frenchman-like,  they  would  take  very  good  care  to 
come  strong-handed." 

"  That  we  may  depend  on.  Some  very  formidable  force, 
at  the  very  lowest.  A  military  disposition  might  be  made, 
in  defence  of  the  island,  out  of  all  question,  and  according  to 
the  art  of  war,  though  we  would  probably  fail  in  the  force 
necessary  to  carry  out  the  design,  in  any  very  creditable 
manner.  In  the  first  place,  a  detachment  snould  be  sent  ofF 
to  the  shore,  with  orders  to  annoy  the  enemy  in  landing.  A 
strong  party  ought  instantly  to  be  thrown  into  the  block 
house,  as  the  citadel,  for  on  that  all  the  different  detachments 
would  naturally  fall  back  for  support,  as  the  French  ad 
vanced  ;  and  an  entrenched  camp  might  be  laid  out  around 
the  strong-hold,  as  it  would  be  very  unmilitary,  indeed,  to  let 
the  foe  get  near  enough  to  the  foot  of  the  walls  to  mine  them. 
Chevaux-de-frise  would  keep  the  cavalry  in  check,  and  as  for 
the  artillery,  redoubts  should  be  thrown  up,  under  cover  of 
yon  woods.  Strong  skirmishing  parties,  moreover,  would 
be  exceedingly  serviceable  in  retarding  the  march  of  the 
enemy ;  and  these  different  huts,  if  properly  picketed  and 
ditched,  would  be  converted  into  very  eligible  positions  for 
that  object." 

"  Whe-e-e-w  !  Quarter-Master.     And  who  the  d 1  is  to 

find  all  the  men  to  carry  out  such  a  plan  ?" 

"  The  King,  out  of  all  question,  Master  Cap.  It  is  his 
quarrel,  and  it's  just  he  should  bear  the  burthen  o'  it." 

"  And  we  are  only  six  !  This  is  fine  talking,  with  a  ven 
geance.  You  could  be  sent  down  to  the  shore  to  oppose  tho 
landing,  Mabel  might  skirmish  with  her  tongue  at  least,  the 


THE   PATHFINDER.  325 

soldier's  wife  might  act  chevaux-de-frise,  to  entangle  the 
cavalry,  the  corporal  should  command  the  entrenched  camp, 
his  three  men  could  occupy  the  five  huts,  and  I  would  take 
the  block-house.  Whe-e-e-w,  you  describe  well,  Lieutenant, 
and  should  have  been  a  limner  instead  of  a  soldier !" 

"  Na — I  've  been  very  literal  and  upright  in  my  exposition 
of  matters.  That  there  is  no  greater  force  here  to  carry  out 
the  plan,  is  a  fault  of  His  Majesty's  ministers,  and  none  of 
mine." 

"  But  should  our  enemy  really  appear,"  asked  Mabel,  with 
more  interest  than  she  might  have  shown,  had  she  not  re 
membered  the  guest  in  the  hut,  "  what  course  ought  we  to 
pursue  ?" 

"  My  advice  would  be  to  attempt  to  achieve  that,  pretty 
Mabel,  which  rendered  Xenophon  so  justly  celebrated." 

"  I  think  you  mean  a  retreat,  though  I  half  guess  at  your 
allusion." 

"  You've  imagined  my  meaning  from  the  possession  of  a 
strong  native  sense,  young  lady.  I  am  aware  that  your  wor 
thy  father  has  pointed  out  to  the  corporal,  certain  modes  and 
methods  by  which  he  fancies  this  island  could  be  held,  in 
case  the  French  should  discover  its  position ;  but  the  excel 
lent  serjeant,  though  your  father,  and  as  good  a  man  in  his 
duties  as  ever  wielded  a  spontoon,  is  not  the  great  Lord  Stair, 
or  even  the  Duke  of  Marlborough.  I  Ml  no  deny  the  Serjeant's 
merits,  in  his  particular  sphere,  though  I  cannot  exaggerate 
qualities,  however  excellent,  into  those  of  men  who  may  be, 
in  some  trifling  degree,  his  superiors.  Serjeant  Dunham  has 
taken  counsel  of  his  heart,  instead  of  his  head,  in  resolving 
to  issue  such  orders ;  but,  if  the  fort  fall,  the  blame  will  lie 
on  him  that  ordered  it  to  be  occupied,  and  not  on  him  whose 
duty  it  was  to  defend  it.  Whatever  may  be  the  determina 
tion  of  the  latter,  should  the  French  and  their  allies  land,  a 
good  commander  never  neglects  the  preparations  necessary 
to  effect  a  retreat ;  and  I  would  advise  Master  Cap,  who  is 
the  admiral  of  our  navy,  to  have  a  boat  in  readiness  to  eva 
cuate  the  island,  if  need  comes  to  need.  The  largest  boat 
that  we  have  left,  carries  a  very  ample  sail,  and  by  hauling 
it  round  here,  and  mooring  it  under  those  bushes,  there  will 
be  a  convenient  place  for  a  hurried  embarkation,  and  then 
you  '11  perceive,  pretty  Mabel,  that  it  is  scarce  fifty  yardf 
28 


526  THE  PATHFINDER. 

before  we  shall  be  in  a  channel  between  two  other  islands, 
and  hid  from  the  sight  of  those  who  may  happen  to  be  on  this." 

"  All  that  you  say,  is  very  true,  Mr.  Muir ;  but  may  not 
the  French  come  from  that  quarter  themselves  ?  If  it  is  so 
good  for  a  retreat,  it  is  equally  good  for  an  advance." 

"  They'll  no  have  the  sense  to  do  so  discreet  a  thing,"  re 
turned  Muir,  looking  furtively  and  a  little  uneasily  around 
him ;  "  they'll  no  have  sufficient  discretion.  Your  French 
are  a  head-over-heels  nation,  and  usually  come  forward  in  a 
random  way ;  so,  we  may  look  for  them,  if  they  come  at  all, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  island." 

The  discourse  now  became  exceedingly  desultory,  touching 
principally,  however,  on  the  probabilities  of  an  invasion,  and 
the  best  means  of  meeting  it. 

To  most  of  this,  Mabel  paid  but  little  attention,  though 
she  felt  some  surprise  that  Lieutenant  Muir,  an  officer  whose 
character  for  courage  stood  well,  should  openly  recommend 
an  abandonment  of  what  appeared  to  her  to  be  doubly  a  duty, 
her  father's  character  being  connected  with  the  defence  of 
the  island.  Her  mind,  however,  was  so  much  occupied 
with  her  guest,  that,  seizing  the  first  favourable  moment,  she 
left  the  table,  and  was  soon  in  her  own  hut  again.  Carefully 
fastening  the  door,  and  seeing  that  the  simple  curtain  was 
drawn  before  the  single  little  window,  Mabel  next  Jed  the 
Dew  of  June,  or  June,  as  she  was  familiarly  termed  by  those 
who  spoke  to  her  in  English,  into  the  outer  room,  making 
signs  of  affection  and  confidence. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  June,"  said  Mabel,  with  one  of  her 
sweetest  smiles,  and  in  her  own  winning  voice ;  "  very  glad 
to  see  you — what  has  brought  you  hither,  and  how  did  you 
discover  the  island  ?" 

"  Speak  slow,"  said  June,  returning  smile  for  smile,  and 
pressing  the  little  hand  she  held,  with  one  of  her  own,  that 
was  scarcely  larger,  though  it  had  been  hardened  by  labour, 
"  more  slow — too  quick." 

Mabel  repeated  her  questions,  endeavouring  to  repress  the 
impetuosity  of  her  feelings,  and  she  succeeded  in  speaking 
so  distinctly  as  to  be  understood. 

"  June,  friend,"  returned  the  Indian  woman. 

"  I  believe  you,  June — from  my  soul  I  believe  you ;  what 
has  this  to  do  with  your  visit  ?" 


THE   PATHFINDER.  327 

"Friend  come  to  see  friend,"  answered  June,  again 
smiling  openly  in  the  other's  face. 

"  There  is  some  other  reason,  June :  else  would  you  never 
run  this  risk,  and  alone — you  are  alone,  June  ?" 

"  June  wid  you — no  one  else.  June  come  alone — paddle 
canoe." 

*  I  hope  so — I  think  so — nay,  I  know  so.  You  would  not 
be  treacherous  with  me,  June  ?" 

"What  treacherous?" 

"  You  would  not  betray  me — would  not  give  me  to  the 
French — to  the  Iroquois — to  Arrowhead" — June  shook  her 
head  earnestly, — "  you  would  not  sell  my  scalp  ?" 

Here  June  passed  her  arm  fondly  around  the  slender  waist 
of  Mabel,  and  pressed  her  to  her  heart,  with  a  tenderness 
and  affection,  that  brought  tears  into  the  eyes  of  our  heroine. 
It  was  done  in  the  fond  caressing  manner  of  a  woman,  and 
it  was  scarcely  possible  that  it  should  not  obtain  credit  for 
sincerity,  with  a  young  and  ingenuous  person  of  the  same 
sex.  Mabel  returned  the  pressure,  and  then  held  the  other 
off  at  the  length  of  her  arm,  looked  her  steadily  in  the  face, 
and  continued  her  inquiries. 

"  If  June  has  something  to  tell  her  friend,  let  her  speak 
plainly,"  she  said.  "  My  ears  are  open." 

"  June  'fraid  Arrowhead  kill  her." 

"  But  Arrowhead  will  never  know  it."  Mabel's  blood 
mounted  to  her  temples,  as  she  said  this ;  for  she  felt  that  she 
was  urging  a  wife  to  be  treacherous  to  her  husband.  "  That 
is,  Mabel  will  not  tell  him." 

"  He  bury  tomahawk  in  June's  head." 

"  That  must  never  be,  dear  June ;  I  would  rather  you 
•hould  say  no  more,  than  run  this  risk." 

"  Block-house  good  place  to  sleep — good  place  to  stay." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  I  may  save  my  life  by  keeping  in  the 
block-house,  June  ?  Surely,  surely,  Arrowhead  will  not  hurt 
you  for  telling  me  that.  He  cannot  wish  me  any  great  harm, 
for  I  never  injured  him." 

"  Arrowhead  wish  no  harm  to  handsome  pale-face,"  re 
turned  June,  averting  her  face,  and,  though  she  always  spoke 
in  the  soft  gentle  voice  of  an  Indian  girl,  permitting  its  notes 
to  fall  so  low  as  to  cause  them  to  sound  melancholy  and 
timid, — "  Arrowhead  love  pale- face  girl." 


328  THE   PATHFINDER. 

Mabel  blushed,  she  knew  not  why,  and,  for  a  moment,  her 
questions  were  repressed  by  a  feeling  of  inherent  delicacy. 
But  it  was  necessary  to  know  more,  for  her  apprehensions 
had  been  keenly  awakened,  and  she  resumed  her  inquiries. 

"  Arrowhead  can  have  no  reason  to  love,  or  to  hate  me," 
she  said.  "  Is  he  near  you  1" 

"  Husband  always  near  wife,  here,"  said  June,  laying  her 
hand  on  her  heart. 

"  Excellent  creature ! — But,  tell  me  June,  ought  I  to  keep 
in  the  block-house  to-day — this  morning — now  ?" 

"  Block-house  very  good ;  good  for  women.  Block-house 
got  no  scalp." 

"  I  fear  I  understand  you  only  too  well,  June.  Do  you 
wish  to  see  my  father  ?" 

"  No  here ;  gone  away." 

"You  cannot  know  that,  June;  you  see  the  island  is 
full  of  his  soldiers." 

"  No  full ;  gone  away," — here  June  held  up  four  of  hei 
fingers, — "  so  many  red-coats." 

"  And  Pathfinder — would  you  not  like  to  see  the  Path 
finder  1 — he  can  talk  to  you  in  the  Iroquois  tongue." 

"  Tongue  gone  wid  him,"  said  June,  laughing ;  "  keep 
tongue  in  his  mout'." 

There  was  something  so  sweet  and  contagious  in  the  in 
fantile  laugh  of  an  Indian  girl,  that  Mabel  could  not  refrain 
from  joining  in  it,  much  as  her  fears  were  aroused  by  all  that 
had  passed. 

"  You  appear  to  know,  or  to  th;nk  you  know,  all  about 
us,  June.  But,  if  Pathfinder  be  gone,  Eau-douce  can  speak 
French,  too.  You  know  Eau-douce ;  shall  I  run  and  bring 
him  to  talk  with  you  ?" 

"Eau-douce  gone,  too,  all  but  heart ;  that  there."  As  June 
said  this,  she  laughed  again,  looked  in  different  directions,  as 
if  unwilling  to  confuse  the  other,  and  laid  her  hand  on  Ma» 
bel's  bosom. 

Our  heroine  had  often  heard  of  the  wonderful  sagacity  of 
the  Indians,  and  of  the  surprising  manner  in  which  they 
noted  all  things,  while  they  appeared  to  regard  none,  but 
she  was  scarce  prepared  for  the  direction  the  discourse  had 
so  singularly  taken.  Willing  to  change  it,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  truly  anxious  to  learn  how  great  the  danger  that  impend- 


THE   PATHFINDER.  329 

ed  over  them  might  really  be,  she  rose  from  the  camp-stool,  on 
which  she  had  been  seated,  and,  by  assuming  an  attitude  of 
less  affectionate  confidence,  she  hoped  to  hear  more  of  that 
she  really  desired  to  learn,  and  to  avoid  allusions  to  that 
which  she  found  so  embarrassing. 

"  You  know  how  much  or  how  little  you  ought  to  tell  me, 
June,"  she  said,  "  and  I  hope  you  love  me  well  enough  to 
give  me  the  information  I  ought  to  hear.  My  dear  uncle, 
too,  is  on  the  island,  and  you  are,  or  ought  to  be,  his  friend, 
as  well  as  mine;  and  both  of  us  will  remember  your  conduct, 
when  we  get  back  to  Oswego." 

"  Maybe  never  get  back  ; — who  know  ?"  This  was  said 
doubtingly,  or  as  one  lays  down  an  uncertain  proposition,  and 
not  with  a  taunt,  or  a  desire  to  alarm. 

"  No  one  knows  what  will  happen,  but  God.  Our  lives 
are  in  his  hands.  Still  I  think  you  are  to  be  his  instrument 
in  saving  us." 

This  passed  June's  comprehension,  and  she  only  looked 
her  ignorance,  for  it  was  evident  she  wished  to  be  of  use. 

"  Block-house  very  good,"  she  repeated,  as  soon  as  her 
countenance  ceased  to  express  uncertainty,  laying  strong  em 
phasis  on  the  two  last  words. 

"  Well,  T  understand  this,  June,  and  will  sleep  in  it  to 
night.  Of  course,  I  am  to  tell  my  uncle  what  you  have 
said." 

The  Dew  of  June  started,  and  she  discovered  a  very  mani 
fest  uneasiness,  at  the  interrogatory. 

"  No — no— no — no" — she  answered,  with  a  volubility  and 
vehemence  that  was  imitated  from  the  French  of  the  Canadas. 
"no  good  to  tell  Salt-water.  He  much  talk  and  long  tongue. 
Thinks  woods  all  water ;  understand  nothing.  Tell  Arrow 
head,  and  June  die." 

••  You  do  my  dear  uncle  injustice,  for  he  would  be  as  little 
l-ikely  to  betray  you,  as  any  one." 

"  No  understand.  Salt-water  got  tongue,  but  no  eyes,  no 
ears,  no  nose — not'ing  but  tongue,  tongue,  tongue." 

Although  Mabel  did  not  exactly  coincide  in  this  opinion, 
ehe  saw  that  Cap  had  not  the  confidence  of  the  young  Indian 
woman,  and  that  it  was  idle  to  expect  she  would  consent  to 
his  being  admitted  to  their  interview. 

"  You  appear  to  think  you  know  our  situation  pretty  well 
28* 


THE   PATHFINDER* 

June,"  Mabel  continued — "  have  you  been  on  the  island  before 
this  visit?" 

"  Just  come." 

"  How  then  do  you  know  that  what  you  say  is  true ;  my 
father,  the  Pathfinder  and  Eau-douce  may  all  be  here  within 
sound  of  my  voice,  if  I  choose  to  call  them." 

"  All  gone,"  said  June  positively,  smiling  good-humouredly 
at  the  same  time. 

"  Nay,  this  is  more  than  you  can  say  certainly,  not  having 
been  over  the  island  to  examine  it." 

"  Got  good  eyes ;  see  boat  with  men  go  away — see  ship 
with  Eau-douce." 

"  Then  you  have  been  some  time  watching  us. — I  think, 
however,  you  have  not  counted  them  that  remain." 

June  laughed,  held  up  her  four  fingers  again,  and  then 
pointed  to  her  two  thumbs — passing  a  finger  over  the  first, 
she  repeated  the  words  "  red-coats,"  and  touching  the  last,  she 
added — "  Salt-water,"  "  Quarter-Master."  All  this  was  being 
very  accurate,  and  Mabel  began  to  entertain  serious  doubts 
of  the  propriety  of  her  permitting  her  visiter  to  depart  with 
out  her  becoming  more  explicit.  Still  it  was  so  repugnant  to 
her  feelings  to  abuse  the  confidence  this  gentle  and  affection 
ate  creature  had  evidently  reposed  in  her,  that  Mabel  had  no 
sooner  admitted  the  thought  of  summoning  her  uncle,  than 
she  rejected  it,  as  unworthy  of  herself,  and  unjust  to  her 
friend.  To  aid  this  good  resolution,  too,  there  was  the  cer 
tainty  that  June  would  reveal  nothing,  but  take  refuge  in  a 
stubborn  silence,  if  any  attempt  was  made  to  coerce  her. 

"  You  think,  then,  June,"  Mabel  continued,  as  soon  as 
these  thoughts  had  passed  through  her  mind,  "that  I  had 
better  live  in  the  block-house  ?" 

"  Good  place  for  woman.  Block-house  got  no  scalp. 
Logs  t'ick." 

"  You  speak  confidently,  June,  as  if  you  had  been  in  it, 
and  had  measured  its  walls." 

June  laughed,  and  she  looked  knowing,  though  she  said 
nothing. 

"  Does  any  one  but  yourself  know  how  to  find  this  island 
— have  any  of  the  Iroquois  seen  it  ?" 

June  looked  sad,  and  she  cast  her  eyes  warily  about  her, 
as  if  distrusting  a  listener. 


THE   PATHFINDER.  331 

*'  Tuscarora  everywhere — Oswego,  here,  Frontenac,  Mo 
hawk — everywhere.  If  he  see  June,  kill  her." 

"  But  we  thought  that  no  one  knew  of  this  island,  and  that 
we  had  no  reason  to  fear  our  enemies  while  on  it." 

"  Much  eye,  Iroquois." 

"  Eyes  will  not  always  do,  June. — This  spot  is  hid  from 
ordinary  sight,  and  few  of  even  our  own  people  know  how 
to  find  it." 

"  One  man  can  tell — some  Yengeese  talk  French." 

Mabel  felt  a  chill  at  her  heart.  All  the  suspicions  against 
Jasper,  which  she  had  hitherto  disdained  entertaining,  crowded 
in  a  body  on  her  thoughts,  and  the  sensation  that  they  brought 
was  so  sickening,  that  for  an  instant  she  imagined  she  was 
about  to  faint.  Arousing  herself,  and  remembering  her  pro 
mise  to  her  father,  she  arose  and  walked  up  and  down  the 
hut  for  a  minute,  fancying  that  Jasper's  delinqueocies  were 
naught  to  her,  though  her  inmost  heart  yearned  with  the 
desire  to  think  him  innocent. 

"  I  understand  your  meaning,  June,"  she  then  said — "  You 
wish  me  to  know  that  some  one  has  treacherously  told  your 
people  where  and  how  to  find  the  island." 

June  laughed,  for  in  her  eyes  artifice  in  war  was  oftener  a 
merit  than  a  crime ;  but  she  was  too  true  to  her  tribe  herself, 
to  say  more  than  the  occasion  required.  Her  object  was  to 
save  Mabel,  and  Mabel  only,  and  she  saw  no  sufficient  rea 
son  for  "  travelling  out  of  the  record,"  as  the  lawyers  express 
it,  in  order  to  do  any  thing  else. 

"  Pale-face  know  now — "  she  added — "  Block-house  good 
for  girl — no  matter  for  men  and  warriors." 

"  But  it  is  much  matter  with  me,  June,  for  one  of  these 
men  is  my  uncle,  whom  I  love,  and  the  others  are  my  coun 
trymen  and  friends.  I  must  tell  them  what  has  passed." 

"  Then  June  be  kill" — returned  the  young  Indian  quietly, 
though  she  evidently  spoke  with  concern. 

"No — they  shall  not  know  that  you  have  been  here. 
Still,  they  must  be  on  their  guard,  and  we  can  all  go  into  the 
block-house." 

"Arrowhead  know — see  everything,  and  June  be  kill. 
June  come  to  tell  young  pale-face  friend,  not  to  tell  men. 
Every  warrior  watch  his  own  scalp.  June  woman,  and  tell 
woman ;  no  tell  men." 


332  THE   PATHFINDER. 

Mabel  was  greatly  distressed  at  this  declaration  of  her 
wild  friend,  for  it  was  now  evident  the  young  creature  under 
stood  that  her  communication  was  to  go  no  farther.  She 
was  ignorant  how  far  these  people  considered  the  point  of 
honour  interested  in  her  keeping  the  secret ;  and,  most  of  all, 
was  she  unable  to  say  how  far  any  indiscretion  of  her  own 
might  actually  commit  June,  and  endanger  her  life.  All 
these  considerations  flashed  on  her  miad,  and  reflection  only 
rendered  their  influence  more  painful.  June,  too,  manifestly 
viewed  the  matter  gravely,  for  she  began  to  gather  up  the 
different  little  articles  she  had  dropped,  in  taking  Mabel's 
hand,  and  was  preparing  to  depart.  To  attempt  detaining 
her  was  out  of  the  question,  and  to  part  from  her,  after  all 
she  had  hazarded  to  serve  her,  was  repugnant  to  all  the  just 
and  kind  feelings  of  our  heroine's  nature. 

"  June,"  she  said  eagerly,  folding  her  arms  round  the  gen 
tle,  but  uneducated  being,  "  we  are  friends.  From  me  you 
have  nothing  to  fear,  for  no  one  shall  know  of  your  visit.  If 
you  could  give  me  some  signal  just  before  the  danger  comes, 
some  sign  by  which  to  know  when  to  go  into  the  block-house, 
— how  to  take  care  of  myself." 

June  paused,  for  she  had  been  in  earnest  in  her  intention 
o  depart ;  and  then  she  said  quietly — 

"  Bring  June  pigeon." 

"  A  pigeon !     Where  shall  I  find  a  pigeon  to  bring  you  ?" 

"  Next  hut — bring  old  one — June  go  to  canoe." 

"  I  think  I  understand  you,  June ;  but  had  I  not  better  lead 
you  back  to  the  bushes,  lest  you  meet  some  of  the  men  ?" 

"  Go  out  first — count  men — one — two — t'ree — four — five 
— six" — here  June  held  up  her  fingers,  and  laughed — "  all 
out  of  way — good — all  but  one — call  him  one  side.  Then 
sing,  and  fetch  pigeon." 

Mabel  smiled  at  the  readiness  and  ingenuity  of  the  girl, 
and  prepared  to  execute  her  requests.  At  the  door,  however, 
she  stopped,  and  looked  back  entreatingly  at  the  Indian 
woman. 

"  Is  there  no  hope  of  your  telling  me  more,  June  ?"  she  said 

"  Know  all  now — block-house  good — pigeon  tell — Arrow 
head  kill." 

The  last  words  sufficed  ;  for  Mabel  could  not  urge  further 
communications,  when  her  companion  herself  told  her,  that 


THE    PATHFINDER.  333 

fclH3  penalty  of  her  revelations  might  be  death  by  the  hand  of 
her  husband.  Throwing  open  the  door,  she  made  a  sign  of 
adieu  to  June,  and  went  out  of  the  hut.  Mabel  resorted  to  the 
simple  expedient  of  the  young  Indian  girl,  to  ascertain  the  situa 
tion  of  the  different  individuals  on  the  island.  Instead  of  look 
ing  about  her  with  the  intention  of  recognizing  faces  and 
dresses,  she  merely  counted  them ;  and  found  that  three  still 
remained  at  the  fire,  while  two  had  gone  to  the  boat,  one  of 
whom  was  Mr.  Muir.  The  sixth  man  was  her  uncle ;  and 
he  was  coolly  arranging  some  fishing  tackle,  at  no  great  dis 
tance  from  the  fire.  The  woman  was  just  entering  her  own 
hut ;  and  this  accounted  for  the  whole  party.  Mabel  now, 
affecting  to  have  dropped  something,  returned  nearly  to  the 
hut  she  had  left,  warbling  an  air,  stooped  as  if  to  pick  up 
some  object  from  the  ground,  and  hurried  towards  the  hut 
June  had  mentioned.  This  was  a  dilapidated  structure,  and 
it  had  been  converted,  by  the  soldiers  of  the  last  detachment, 
into  a  sort  of  store-house  for  their  live  stock.  Among  other 
things,  it  contained  a  few  dozen  pigeons,  which  were  regaling 
on  a  pile  of  wheat,  that  had  been  brought  off  from  one  of 
the  farms  plundered  on  the  Canada  shore.  Mabel  had  not 
much  difficulty  in  catching  one  of  these  pigeons,  although 
they  fluttered  and  flew  about  the  hut,  with  a  noise  like  that  of 
drums ;  and,  concealing  it  in  her  dress,  she  stole  back  towards 
her  own  hut  with  the  prize.  It  was  empty ;  and,  without 
doing  more  than  cast  a  glance  in  at  the  door,  the  eager  girl 
hurried  down  to  the  shore.  She  had  no  difficulty  in  escaping 
observation,  for  the  trees  and  bushes  made  a  complete  cover 
to  her  person.  At  the  canoe,  she  found  June ;  who  took  the 
pigeon,  placed  it  in  a  basket  of  her  own  manufacturing, 
and  repeating  the  words,  "  block-house  good,"  she  glided  out 
of  the  bushes,  and  across  the  narrow  passage,  as  noiselessly 
as  she  had  come.  Mabel  waited  some  time  to  catch  a  signal 
of  leave-taking  or  amity,  after  her  friend  had  landed ;  but 
none  was  given.  The  adjacent  islands,  without  exception, 
were  as  quiet  as  if  no  one  had  ever  disturbed  the  sublime  re 
pose  of  nature ;  and  nowhere  could  any  sign  or  symptom  be 
discovered,  as  Mabel  then  thought,  that  might  denote  the 
proximity  of  the  sort  of  danger  of  which  June  had  given 
notice. 
On  returning,  however,  from  the  shore,  Mabel  was  struck 


834  THE   PATHFINDER. 

with  a  little  circumstance,  that,  in  an  ordinary  situation, 
would  have  attracted  no  attention,  but  which,  now  that  her 
suspicions  had  been  aroused,  did  not  pass  before  her  uneasy 
eye  unnoticed.  A  small  piece  of  red  bunting,  such  as  is  used 
in  the  ensigns  of  ships,  was  fluttering  at  the  lower  branch  of 
a  small  tree,  fastened  in  a  way  to  permit  it  to  blow  out,  or 
to  droop  like  a  vessel's  pennant. 

Now  that  Mabel's  fears  were  awakened,  June  herself  could 
not  have  manifested  greater  quickness  in  analyzing  facts  that 
she  believed  might  affect  the  safety  of  the  party.  She  saw 
at  a  glance,  that  this  bit  of  cloth  could  be  observed  from  an 
adjacent  island ;  that  it  lay  so  near  the  line  between  her  own 
hut  and  the  canoe,  as  to  leave  no  doubt  that  June  had  pass 
ed  near  it,  if  not  directly  under  it ;  and  that  it  might  be  a 
signal  to  communicate  some  unportant  fact  connected  with 
the  mode  of  attack,  to  those  who  were  probably  lying  in 
ambush  near  them.  Tearing  the  little  strip  of  bunting  from 
the  tree,  Mabel  hastened  on,  scarce  knowing  what  her  duty 
next  required  of  her.  June  might  be  false  to  her ;  but  her  man 
ner,  her  looks,  her  affection,  and  her  disposition  as  Mabel  had 
known  it  in  the  journey,  forbade  the  idea.  Then  came 
the  allusion  to  Arrowhead's  admiration  of  the  pale-face 
beauties,  some  dim  recollections  of  the  looks  of  the  Tusca- 
rora,  and  a  painful  consciousness  that  few  wives  could  view 
with  kindness  one  who  had  (estranged  a  husband's  affections. 
None  of  these  images  were  distinct  and  clear,  but  they  rather 
gleamed  over  the  mind  of  our  heroine  than  rested  m  it,  and 
they  quickened  her  pulses,  as  they  did  her  step,  without 
bringing  with  them  the  prompt  and  clear  decisions  that 
usually  followed  her  reflections.  She  had  hurried  onwards 
towards  the  hut  occupied  by  the  soldier's  wife,  intending  to 
remove  at  once  to  the  block-house,  with  the  woman,  though 
she  could  persuade  no  other  to  follow,  when  her  impatient 
walk  was  interrupted  by  the  voice  of  Muir. 

"  Whither  so  fast,  pretty  Mabel,"  he  cried,  "  and  why  so 
given  to  solitude  1 — the  worthy  serjeant  will  deride  my  breed 
ing,  if  he  hear  that  his  daughter  passes  the  mornings  alone 
and  unattended  to,  though  he  well  knows  that  it  is  my  ardent 
wish  to  be  her  slave  and  companion,  from  the  beginning  of 
the  year  to  its  end." 

"  Surely,  Mr.  Muir,  you  must  have  some  authority  here,1* 


THE   PATHFINDER.  335 

Mabel  suddenly  arrested  her  steps  to  say.  "  One  of  your 
rank  would  be  listened  to,  at  least,  by  a  corporal !" 

"I  don't  know  that — I  don't  know  that," — interrupted 
Muir,  with  an  impatience  and  appearance  of  alarm  that 
might  have  excited  Mabel's  attention  at  another  moment. 
"  Command  is  command,  discipline,  discipline,  and  authority, 
authority.  Your  good  father  would  be  sore  grieved  did  he 
find  me  interfering  to  sully,  or  carry  off  the  laurels  he  is 
about  to  win ;  and  I  cannot  command  the  corporal,  without 
equally  commanding  the  serjeant.  The  wisest  way  will  be 
for  me  to  remain  in  the  obscurity  of  a  private  individual  in 
this  enterprise;  and  it  is  so  that  all  parties,  from  Lundie 
down,  understand  the  transaction." 

"  This  I  know,  and  it  may  be  well ;  nor  would  I  give  my 
dear  father  any  cause  of  complaint,  but  you  may  influence 
the  corporal  to  his  own  good." 

"  I  '11  no  say  that,"  returned  Muir,  in  his  sly  Scotch  way  ; 
— "  it  would  be  far  safer  to  promise  to  influence  him  to 
lis  injury.  Mankind,  pretty  Mabel,  have  their  peculiarities, 
<tnd  to  influence  a  fellow-being  to  his  own  good,  is  one  of  the 
most  difficult  tasks  of  human  nature,  while  the  opposite  is 
just  the  easiest.  You  '11  no  forget  this,  my  dear ;  but  bear  it 
m  mind  for  your  edification  and  government ;  but,  what  is 
that  you  're  twisting  round  your  slender  finger,  as  you  may 
be  said  to  twist  hearts  ?" 

"  It  is  nothing  but  a  bit  of  cloth — a  sort  of  flag — a  trifle 
that  is  hardly  worth  our  attention  at  this  grave  moment — 
If"— 

"  A  trifle !  It 's  no  so  trifling  as  ye  may  imagine,  Mistress 
Mabel,"  taking  the  bit  of  bunting  from  her,  and  stretching  it 
at  full  length  with  both  his  arms  extended,  while  his  face 
grew  grave,  and  his  eye  watchful.  "  Ye  '11  no  ha'  been 
finding  this,  Mabel  Dunham,  in  the  breakfast  ?" 

Mabel  simply  acquainted  him  with  the  spot  where,  and  the 
manner  m  which  he  had  found  the  bit  of  cloth.  While  she 
was  speaking,  the  eye  of  the  Quarter- Master  was  not  quiet 
for  a  moment,  glancing  from  the  ra°;  to  the  face  of  our  hero 
ine,  then  back  again  to  the  rag.  That  his  suspicions  were 
awakened  was  easy  to  be  seen,  nor  was  he  long  in  letting  it 
be  known  what  direction  they  had  taken. 

"  Wo  arc  not  in  a  part  of  the  world,  where  our  ensigns 


336  THE    PATHFINDER. 

and  gauds  ought  to  be  spread  abroad  to  the  wind,  Mabel 
Dunham  !"  he  said,  with  an  ominous  shake  of  the  head. 

"  I  thought  as  much  myself,  Mr.  Muir,  and  brought  away 
the  little  flag,  lest  it  might  be  the  means  of  betraying  our 
presence  here,  to  the  enemy,  even  though  nothing  is  intended 
by  its  display.  Ought  not  my  uncle  to  be  made  acquainted 
with  the  circumstance?" 

"  I  no  see  the  necessity  for  that,  pretty  Mabel,  for  as  you 
justly  say  it  is  a  circumstance,  and  circumstances  sometimes 
worry  the  worthy  mariner.  But  this  flag,  if  flag  it  can  be 
called,  belongs  to  a  seaman's  craft.  You  may  perceive  that  it 
is  made  of  what  is  called  bunting,  and  that  is  a  description 
of  cloth  used  only  by  vessels  for  such  purposes,  our  colours 
being  of  silk,  as  you  may  understand,  or  painted  canvass. 
It 's  surprisingly  like  the  fly  of  the  Scud's  ensign !  And  now 
I  recollect  me,  to  have  observed  that  a  piece  had  been  cut 
from  that  very  flag !" 

Mabel  felt  her  heart  sink,  but  she  had  sufficient  self-corn- 
mand  not  to  attempt  an  answer. 

"  It  must  be  looked  to,"  Muir  continued,  "  and  after  all,  I 
think  it  may  be  well  to  hold  a  short  consultation  with  Master 
Cap,  than  whom  a  more  loyal  subject  does  not  exist  in  the 
British  Empire." 

"  I  have  thought  the  warning  so  serious,"  Mabel  rejoined, 
"  that  I  am  about  to  remove  to  the  block-house,  and  to  take 
the  woman  with  me." 

"  I  do  not  see  the  prudence  of  that,  Mabel.  The  block 
house  will  be  the  first  spot  assailed,  should  there  really  be 
an  attack ;  and  it 's  no  well  provided  for  a  siege,  that  must  be 
allowed.  If  I  might  advise  in  so  delicate  a  contingency,  I 
would  recommend  your  taking  refuge  in  the  boat,  which,  as 
you  may  now  perceive,  is  most  favourably  placed  to  retreat 
by  that  channel  opposite,  where  all  in  it  would  be  hid  by  the 
islands,  in  one  or  two  minutes.  Water  leaves  no  trail,  as 
Pathfinder  well  expresses  it,  and  there  appears  to  be  so  many 
different  passages  in  that  quarter,  that  escape  would  be  more 
than  probable.  I  Ve  always  been  of  opinion  that  Lundie 
hazarded  too  much,  in  occupying  a  post  as  far  advanced,  and 
as  much  exposed,  as  this." 

"  It 's  too  late  to  regret  it  now,  Mr  Muir,  and  we  have 
only  to  consult  our  own  security." 


THE  PATHFINDER.  337 

**  And  the  King's  honour,  pretty  Mabel.  Yes,  His  Ma- 
jesty's  arms,  and  his  glorious  name,  are  not  to  be  overlooked 
on  any  occasion." 

"  Then  I  think  it  might  be  better,  if  we  all  turned  our 
eyes  towards  the  place  that  has  been  built  to  maintain  them, 
instead  of  the  boat,"  said  Mabel,  smiling ;  "  and  so,  Mr.  Muir, 
I  am  for  the  block-house,  with  a  disposition  to  await  there 
the  return  of  my  father,  and  his  party.  He  would  be  sadly 
grieved,  at  finding  we  had  fled,  when  he  got  back,  successful 
himself,  and  filled  with  the  confidence  of  our  having  been  as 
faithful  to  our  duties,  as  he  has  been  to  his  own." 

"  Nay,  nay,  for  Heaven's  sake,  do  not  misunderstand  me, 
Mabel,"  Muir  interrupted  with  some  alarm  of  manner,  "  I 
am  far  from  intimating  that  any  but  you  females  ought  to 
take  refuge  in  the  boat.  The  duty  of  us  men  is  sufficiently 
plain  no  doubt,  and  my  resolution  has  been  formed  from  the 
first,  to  stand  or  fall  by  the  block-house." 

"  And  did  you  imagine,  Mr.  Muir,  that  two  females  could 
row  that  heavy  boat,  in  a  way  to  escape  the  bark  canoe  of 
an  Indian  ?" 

"  Ah !  my  pretty  Mabel,  love  is  seldom  logical,  and  its 
fears  and  misgivings  are  apt  to  warp  the  faculties.  I  only 
saw  your  sweet  person  in  possession  of  the  means  of  safety, 
and  overlooked  the  want  of  ability  to  use  them.  But  you  '11 
no  be  so  cruel,  lovely  creature,  as  to  impute  to  me  as  a  fault, 
my  intense  anxiety  on  your  own  account !" 

Mabel  had  heard  enough.  Her  mind  was  too  much  occupi 
ed  with  what  had  passed  that  morning,  and  with  her  fears,  to 
wish  to  linger  further  to  listen  to  love  speeches,  that,  in  her 
most  joyous  and  buoyant  moments,  she  would  have  found  un 
pleasant.  She  took  a  hasty  leave  of  her  companion,  and  was 
about  to  trip  away  towards  the  hut  of  the  other  woman, 
when  Muir  arrested  the  movement,  by  laying  a  hand  on  her 
arm. 

"One  word,  Mabel,"  he  said,  "before  you  leave  me.  This 
little  flag  may,  or  it  may  not  have  a  particular  meaning ;  if 
it  has,  now  that  we  are  aware  of  its  being  shown,  may  it 
not  be  better  to  put  it  back  again,  while  we  watch  vigilantly 
for  some  answer,  that  may  betray  the  conspiracy  ;  and  if  it 
mean  nothing,  why  nothing  will  follow." 

"  This  may  be  all  right,  Mr.  Muir,  though  if  the  whole  is 
29 


338  THE    PATHFINDER. 

accidental,  the  flag  might  be  the  occasion  of  the  fort's  bemg 
discovered." 

Mabel  stayed  to  utter  no  more,  but  she  was  soon  out  of 
sight,  running  into  the  hut  towards  which  she  had  been  firsJ 
proceeding.  The  Quarter-Master  remained  on  the  very  spot, 
arid  in  the  precise  attitude  in  which  she  had  left  him,  for 
quite  a  minute,  first  looking  at  the  bounding  figure  of  the 
girl,  and  then  at  the  bit  of  bunting,  which  he  still  held  be 
fore  him,  in  a  way  to  denote  indecision.  His  irresolution 
lasted  but  for  this  minute,  however,  for  he  was  soon  beneath 
the  tree,  where  he  fastened  the  mimic  flag  to  a  branch,  again, 
though  from  his  ignorance  of  the  precise  spot  from  which  it 
had  been  taken  by  Mabel,  he  left  it  fluttering  from  a  part  of 
the  oak,  where  it  was  still  more  exposed  than  before  to  the 
eyes  of  any  passenger  on  the  river,  though  less  in  vie*"  from 
the  island,  itself. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

"  Each  one  has  had  his  supping  mess, 
The  cheese  is  put  into  the  press, 
The  pans  and  bowls  clean  scalded  all, 
Rear'd  up  against  the  milk-house  wall." 

COTTON. 

IT  seemed  strange  to  Mabel  Dunham,  as  she  passed  along 
on  her  way  to  find  her  female  companion,  that  others  should 
be  so  composed,  while  she,  herself,  felt  as  if  the  responsibi 
lities  of  life  and  death  rested  on  her  shoulders.  It  is  true, 
that  distrust  of  June's  motives  mingled  with  her  forebodings  ; 
but  when  she  came  to  recall  the  affectionate  and  natural  man 
ner  of  the  young  Indian  girl,  and  all  the  evidences  of  good 
faith  and  sincerity  that  she  had  seen  in  her  conduct,  during 
the  familiar  intercourse  of  their  journey,  she  rejected  the  idea, 
with  the  unwillingness  of  a  generous  disposition,  to  believe 
ill  of  others.  She  saw,  however,  that  she  could  not  put 
her  companions  properly  on  their  guard,  without  letting  them 
into  the  secret  of  her  conference  w'lth  June,  and  she  found 


THE    PATHFINDER.  339 

nerself  compelled  to  act  cautiously,  and  with  a  forethought 
to  which  she  was  unaccustomed,  more  especially  in  a  matter 
of  so  much  moment. 

The  soldier's  wife  was  told  to  transport  the  necessaries  into 
the  block-house,  and  admonished  not  to  be  far  from  it,  at  any 
time,  during  the  day.  Mabel  did  not  explain  her  reasons. 
She  merely  stated  that  she  had  detected  some  signs  in 
walking  about  the  island,  that  induced  her  to  apprehend  that 
the  enemy  had  more  knowledge  of  its  position,  than  had 
been  previously  believed,  and  that  they  two,  at  least,  would 
do  well  to  be  in  readiness  to  seek  a  refuge  at  the  shortest  no 
tice.  It  was  not  difficult  to  arouse  the  apprehension  of  this 
person,  who,  though  a  stout-hearted  Scotch  woman,  was 
ready  enough  to  listen  to  any  thing  that  confirmed  her  dread 
of  Indian  cruelties.  As  soon  as  Mabel  believed  that  her  com 
panion  was  sufficiently  frightened  to  make  her  wary,  she 
threw  out  some  hints,  touching  the  inexpediency  of  letting 
the  soldiers  know  the  extent  of  their  own  fears.  This  was 
done  with  a  view  to  prevent  discussions  and  inquiries  that 
might  embarrass  our  heroine ;  she  determining  to  render  her 
uncle,  the  corporal,  and  his  men,  more  cautious,  by  adopting 
a  different  course.  Unfortunately,  the  British  army  could 
not  have  furnished  a  worse  person,  for  the  particular  duty 
that  he  was  now  required  to  discharge,  than  Corporal  McNab, 
the  individual  who  had  been  left  in  command  during  the  ab 
sence  of  Serjeant  Dunham.  On  the  one  hand  he  was  reso 
lute,  prompt,  familiar  with  all  the  details  of  a  soldier's  life, 
and  used  to  war ;  on  the  other,  he  was  supercilious  as  regards 
the  provincials,  opinionated  on  every  subject  connected  with 
the  narrow  limits  of  his  professional  practice,  much  dis 
posed  to  fancy  the  British  empire  the  centre  of  all  that  is  ex 
cellent  in  the  world,  and  Scotland,  the  focus  of,  at  least,  all 
moral  excellence  in  that  empire.  In  short,  he  was  an  epi 
tome,  though  on  a  scale  suited  to  his  rank,  of  those  very 
qualities,  which  were  so  peculiar  to  the  servants  of  the  crown, 
that  were  sent  into  the  colonies,  as  these  servants  estimated 
themselves  in  comparison  with  the  natives  of  the  country  ;  or, 
in  other  words,  he  considered  the  American  as  an  animal  in 
ferior  to  the  parent  stock,  and  viewed  all  his  notions  of  mili 
tary  service,  in  particular,  as  undigested  and  absurd.  Brad- 
dock,  himself,  was  not  less  disposed  to  take  advice  from  a 


340  THE  PATHFINDER. 

provincial,  than  his  humble  imitator ;  and  he  had  been  known, 
on  more  than  one  occasion,  to  demur  to  the  directions  and 
orders  of  two  or  three  commissioned  officers  of  the  corps, 
who  happened  to  be  born  in  America,  simply  for  that  reason ; 
taking  care,  at  the  same  time,  with  true  Scottish  wariness,  to 
protect  himself  from  the  pains  and  penalties  of  positive  diso 
bedience.  A  more  impracticable  subject,  therefore,  could 
not  well  have  offered  for  the  purpose  of  Mabel,  and  yet  she 
felt  obliged  to  lose  no  time  in  putting  her  plan  in  execution. 

"  My  father  has  left  you  a  responsible  command,  corporal," 
she  said,  as  soon  as  she  could  catch  McNab,  a  little  apart 
from  the  rest  of  the  soldiers;  "  for  should  the  island  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy,  not  only  would  we  be  captured, 
but  the  party  that  is  now  out,  would  in  all  probability  become 
their  prisoners  also." 

"  It  needs  no  journey  from  Scotland  to  this  place,  to  know 
the  facts  needful  to  be  o'  that  way  of  thinking,"  returned 
MoNab,  drily. 

"  I  do  not  doubt  your  understanding  it,  as  well  as  myself, 
Mr.  McNab;  but  I'm  fearful  that  you  veterans,  accustomed 
as  you  are  to  dangers  and  battles,  are  a  little  apt  to  overlook 
some  of  the  precautions  that  may  be  necessary  in  a  situation 
as  peculiar  as  ours." 

"  They  say  Scotland  is  no  conquered  country,  young  wo 
man,  but  I  'm  thinking  there  must  be  some  rnistak'  in  the 
matter,  as  we,  her  children,  are  so  drowsy-headed,  and  apt 
to  be  o'ertaken  when  we  least  expect  it." 

"  Nay,  my  good  friend,  you  mistake  my  meaning.  In 
the  first  place,  I  'm  not  thinking  of  Scotland  at  all,  but  of  this 
island  ;  and  then  I  am  far  from  doubting  your  vigilance  when 
you  think  it  necessary  to  practise  it;  but  my  great  fear  is 
that  there  may  be  danger  to  which  your  courage  will  make 
you  indifferent." 

"  My  courarge,  Mistress  Dunham,  is  doubtless  of  a  very 
poor  quality,  being  nothing  but  Scottish  courage ;  your  fa 
ther's  is  Yankee,  and  were  he  here  amang  us,  we  should  see 
different  preparations  beyond  a  doubt.  Well,  times  are  get 
ting  wrang,  when  foreigners  hold  commissions  and  carry 
halberds  in  Scottish  corps ;  and  I  no  wonder  that  battles 
are  lost,  and  campaigns  go  wrang  end  foremost  " 

Mabel  was  almost  in  despair,  but  the  quiet  warning  of 


THE   PATHFINDER.  341 

June  was  still  too  vividly  impressed  on  her  mind,  to  allow 
her  to  yield  the  matter.  'She  changed  her  mode  of  operating, 
therefore,  still  clinging  to  the  hope  of  getting  the  whole  party 
within  the  block-house,  without  being  compelled  to  betray 
the  source  whence  she  obtained  her  notices  of  the  necessity 
of  vigilance. 

"  1  dare  say  you  are  right,  Corporal  McNab,"  she  observed, 
*  for  I  've  often  heard  of  the  heroes  of  your  country,  who 
have  been  among  the  first  of  the  civilized  world,  if  what  they 
tell  me  of  them  is  true." 

"  Have  you  read  the  history  of  Scotland,  Mistress  Dunham  ?" 
demanded  the  corporal,  looking  up  at  his  pretty  companion, 
for  the  first  time,  with  something  like  a  smile  on  his  hard, 
repulsive  countenance. 

"  I  have  read  a  little  of  it,  corporal,  but  I  've  heard  much 
more.  The  lady  who  brought  me  up  had  Scottish  blood  in 
her  veins,  and  was  fond  of  the  subject." 

"  I  '11  warrant  ye,  the  serjeant  no  troubled  himself  to  ex 
patiate  on  the  renown  of  the  country  where  his  regiment  was 
raised  ?" 

"My  father  has  other  things  to  think  of,  and  the  little 
I  know,  was  got  from  the  lady  I  have  mentioned." 

"She'll  no  be -forgetting  to  tall  ye  o'  Wallace?" 

"  Of  him,  I  've^ven  read  a  good  deal." 

"  And  o'  Bruce — and  the  affair  o'  Bannock-burn  ?" 

"  Of  that  too,  as  well  as  of  Culloden-muir." 

The  last  of  these  battles  was  then  a  recent  event,  it  having 
actually  been  fought  within  the  recollection  of  our  heroine, 
whose  notions  of  it,  however,  were  so  confused  that  she 
scarcely  appreciated  the  effect  her  allusion  might  produce  on 
her  companion.  She  knew  it  had  been  a  victory,  and  had 
often  heard  the  guests  of  her  patroness  mention  it  with  tri 
umph  ;  and  she  fancied  their  feelings  would  find  a  sympa 
thetic  chord  in  those  of  every  British  soldier.  Unfortunately, 
McNab  had  fought  throughout  that  luckless  day,  on  the  side 
of  the  Pretender;  and  a  deep  scar,  that  garnished  his  face, 
had  been  left  there,  by  the  sabre  of  a  German  soldier,  in  the 
service  of  the  House  of  Hanover.  He  fancied  that  his  wound 
bled  afresh,  at  Mabel's  allusion;  and  it  is  certain  that  the 
blood  rushed  to  his  face  in  a  'orrent,  as  if  it  would  pour  out 
of  his  skin  at  the  cicatrix. 
29* 


342  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  Hoot !  hoot  awa' !"  he  fairly  shouted,  "  with  your  Cul- 
loden  and  Sherrif-muirs,  young  woman ;  ye  '11  no  be  under 
standing  the  subject  at  all,  and  will  manifest  not  only 
wisdom,  but  modesty,  in  speaking  o'  your  ain  country  and 
its  many  failings.  King  George  has  some  loyal  subjects  in 
the  colonies,  na  doubt;  but  'twill  be  a  lang  time  bafore  he 
sees  or  hears  any  guid  of  them." 

Mabel  was  surprised  at  the  corporal's  heat,  for  she  had  not 
the  smallest  idea  where  the  shoe  pinched ;  but  she  was  deter 
mined  not  to  give  up  the  point. 

"  I  've  always  heard  that  the  Scotch  had  two  of  the  good 
qualities  of  soldiers,"  she  said,  "  courage  and  circumspec 
tion  ;  and  I  feel  persuaded  that  Corporal  McNab  will  sustain 
the  national  renown." 

"  Ask  ye'r  own  father,  Mistress  Dunham  :  he  is  acquaint' 
with  Corporal  McNab,  and  will  no  be  backward  to  point  out 
his  demerits.  We  have  been  in  battle  the'gither,  and  he  is 
my  superior  officer,  and  has  a  sort  o'  official  right  to  give  the 
characters  of  his  subordinates." 

"  My  father  thinks  well  of  you,  McNab,  or  he  would  not 
have  left  you  in  charge  of  this  island  and  all  it  contains,  his 
own  daughter  included.  Among  other  things,  I  well  know 
that  he  calculates  largely  on  your  prudence.  He  expects  the 
block-house,  in  particular,  to  be  strictly  attended  to." 

"  If  he  wishes  to  defend  the  honour  ot  the  55th  behind 
logs,  he  ought  to  have  remained  in  command  himsal' ;  for, 
to  speak  frankly,  it  goes  against  a  Scotsman's  bluid  and 
opinions,  to  be  beaten  out  of  the  field  even  before  he  is  at 
tacked.  We  are  broad-sword  men,  and  love  to  stand  foot  to 
foot  with  the  foe.  This  American  mode  of  fighting,  that  is 
getting  into  so  much  favour,  will  destroy  the  reputation  of 
His  Majesty's  army,  if  it  no  destroy  its  spirit." 

"  No  true  soldier  despises  caution.  Even  Major  Duncan, 
himself,  than  whom  there  is  none  braver,  is  celebrated  for  his 
care  of  his  men." 

"  Lundie  has  his  weakness,  and  is  fast  forgetting  the  broad 
sword  and  open  heaths,  in  his  tree  and  rifle  practice.  But, 
Mistress  Dunham,  tak'  the  word  of  an  old  soldier,  who  has 
seen  his  fifty-fifth  year,  when  he  tails  ye,  that  there  is  no 
surer  method  to  encourage  your  enemy,  than  to  seem  to  fear 
him ;  and  that  there  is  no  danger  in  this  Indian  warfare,  that 


THE    PATHFINDER.  343 

the  fancies  and  imaginations  of  your  Americans  have  not  aug 
mented  and  enlarged  upon,  until  they  see  a  savage  in  every 
bush.  We  Scots  come  from  a  naked  region,  and  have  no 
need,  and  less  relish,  for  covers,  and  so  ye  '11  be  seeing,  Mis^ 
tress  Dunham" 

The  corporal  gave  a  spring  into  the  air,  fell  forward  on 
his  face,  and  rolled  over  on  his  back — the  whole  passing  so 
suddenly,  that  Mabel  had  scarcely  heard  the  sharp  crack  of 
the  rifle  that  had  sent  a  bullet  through  his  body.  Our  he 
roine  did  not  shriek — did  not  even  tremble ;  for  the  occur 
rence  was  too  sudden,  too  awful,  and  too  unexpected  for  that 
exhibition  of  weakness  :  on  the  contrary,  she  stepped  hastily 
forward,  with  a  natural  impulse  to  aid  her  companion.  There 
was  just  enough  of  life  left  in  McNab  to  betray  his  entire 
consciousness  of  all  that  had  passed.  His  countenance  had 
the  wild  look  of  one  who  had  been  overtaken  by  death,  by 
surprise ;  and  Mabel,  in  her  cooler  moments,  fancied  that 
it  showed  the  tardy  repentance  of  a  wilful  and  obstinate 
sinner. 

"  Ye  '11  be  getting  into  the  block-house,  as  fast  as  possi 
ble  ;"  McNab  whispered,  as  Mabel  leaned  over  him,  to  catch 
his  dying  words. 

Then  came  over  our  heroine  the  full  consciousness  of  her 
situation,  and  of  the  necessity  of  exertion.  She  cast  a  rapid 
glance  at  the  body  at  her  feet,  saw  that  it  had  ceased  to 
breathe,  and  fled.  It  was  but  a  few  minutes'  run  to  the  block 
house,  the  door  of  which  Mabel  had  barely  gained,  when  it 
was  closed  violently  in  her  face,  by  Jennie,  the  soldier's 
wife,  who,  in  blind  terror,  thought  only  of  her  own  safety. 
The  reports  of  five  or  six  rifles  were  heard  while  Mabel  was 
calling  out  for  admittance ;  and  the  additional  terror  they  pro 
duced,  prevented  the  woman  within  from  undoing  quickly 
the  very  fastenings  she  had  been  so  expert  in  applying.  After 
a  minute's  delay,  however,  Mabel  found  the  door  reluctantly 
yielding  to  her  constant  pressure,  and  she  forced  her  slender 
body  through  the  opening,  the  instant  it  was  large  enough  to 
allow  of  its  passage.  By  this  time,  Mabel's  heart  ceased  to 
beat  tumultuousiy,  and  she  gained  sufficient  self-command 
to  act  collectedly.  Instead  of  yielding  to  the  almost  convul 
sive  efforts  of  her  companion  to  close  the  door  auain,  she 
held  it  open  long  enough  to  ascertain  that  none  of  her  OWD 


344  THE    PATHFINDER. 

party  was  in  sight,  or  likely,  on  the  instant,  to  endeavour  to 
gain  admission ;  then  she  allowed  the  opening  to  be  shut. 
Her  orders  and  proceedings  now  became  more  calm  and 
rational.  But  a  single  bar  was  crossed,  and  Jennie  was  di 
rected  to  stand  in  readiness  to  remove  even  that,  at  any  appli 
cation  from  a  friend.  She  then  ascended  the  ladder  to  the 
room  above,  where,  by  means  of  a  loop-hole,  she  was  ena 
bled  to  get  as  good  a  view  of  the  island  as  the  surrounding 
bushes  would  allow.  Admonishing  her  associate  below  to 
be  firm  and  steady,  she  made  as  careful  an  examination  of 
the  environs  as  her  situation  permitted. 

To  her  great  surprise,  Mabel  could  not,  at  first,  see  a  liv 
ing  soul  on  the  island,  friend  or  enemy.  Neither  French 
man  nor  Indian  was  visible,  though  a  small  straggling  white 
cloud  that  was  floating  before  the  wind,  told  her  in  which 
quarter  she  ought  to  look  for  them.  The  rifles  had  been  dis 
charged  from  the  direction  of  the  island  whence  June  had 
come,  though  whether  the  enemy  were  on  that  island,  or  had 
actually  landed  on  her  own,  Mabel  could  not  say.  Going  to 
the  loop  that  commanded  a  view  of  the  spot  where  McNab 
lay,  her  blood  curdled  at  perceiving  all  three  of  his  soldiers 
lying  apparently  lifeless  at  his  side.  These  men  had  rushed 
to  a  common  centre,  at  the  first  alarm,  and  had  been  shot 
down  almost  simultaneously  by  the  invisible  foe,  whom  the 
corporal  had  affected  to  despise. 

Neither  Cap  nor  Lieutenant  Muir  was  to  be  seen.  With 
a  beating  heart,  Mabel  examined  every  opening  through  the 
trees,  and  ascended  even  to  the  upper  story,  or  garret  of  the 
block-house,  where  she  got  a  full  view  of  the  whole  island, 
so  far  as  its  covers  would  allow ;  but  with  no  better  success. 
She  had  expected  to  see  the  body  of  her  uncle  lying  on  the 
grass,  like  those  of  the  soldiers,  but  it  was  nowhere  visible. 
Turning  towards  the  spot  where  the  boat  lay,  Mabel  saw  that 
it  was  still  fastened  to  the  shore ;  and  then  she  supposed  that, 
by  some  accident,  Muir  had  been  prevented  from  effecting  his 
retreat  in  that  quarter.  In  short,  the  island  fay  in  the  quiet 
of  the  grave,  the  bodies  of  the  soldiers  rendering  the  scene 
as  fearful  as  it  was  extraordinary. 

'*  For  God's  holy  sake,  Mistress  Mabel,"  called  out  the  wo 
man  from  below,  for,  though  her  fear  had  got  to  be  too  ungo 
vernable  to  allow  her  to  keep  silence,  our  heroine's  supcrioi 


THE   PATHFINDER.  345 

refinement,  more  than  the  regimental  station  of  her  father, 
still  controlled  her  mode  of  address ;  "  for  His  holy  sake  ! 
Mistress  Mabel,  tell  me  if  any  of  our  friends  are  living  ?  I 
think  I  hear  groans  that  grow  fainter  and  fainter,  and  fear 
that  they  will  all  be  tomahawked  !" 

Mabel  now  remembered  that  one  of  the  soldiers  was  this 
woman's  husband,  and  she  trembled  at  what  might  be  the 
immediate  effect  of  her  sorrow,  should  his  death  become  sud 
denly  known  to  her.  The  groans,  too,  gave  a  little  hope, 
though  she  feared  they  might  come  from  her  uncle,  who  lay 
out  of  view. 

"  We  are  in  his  holy  keeping,  Jennie,"  she  answered. 
"  We  must  trust  in  Providence,  while  we  neglect  none  of  its 
benevolent  means  of  protecting  ourselves.  Be  careful  with 
the  door ;  on  no  account  open  it,  without  my  directions." 

"  Oh !  tell  me,  Mistress  Mabel,  if  you  can  anywhere  see 
Sandy  ? — If  I  could  only  let  him  know  that  I  'm  in  safety, 
the  guid  man  would  be  easier  in  his  mind,  whether  free  or  a 
prisoner  !" 

Sandy  was  Jennie's  husband,  and  he  lay  dead  in  plain 
view  of  the  loop,  from  which  our  heroine  was  then  looking. 

"  You  no  tell  me  if  you  're  seeing  of  Sandy,"  the  woman 
repeated  from  below,  impatient  at  Mabel's  silence. 

"  There  are  some  of  our  people  gathered  about  the  body 
of  McNab,"  was  the  answer,  for  it  seemed  sacrilegious  in 
her  eyes  to  tell  a  direct  untruth,  under  the  awful  circum 
stances  in  which  she  was  placed. 

"  Is  Sandy  amang  them  ?"  demanded  the  woman,  in  a 
voice  that  sounded  appalling  by  its  hoarseness  and  energy. 

"  He  may  be  certainly — for  I  see,  one,  two,  three,  four, 
and  all  in  the  scarlet  coats  of  the  regiment." 

"  Sandy !"  called  out  the  woman  frantically — "  why  d'ye 
no  care  for  yoursal',  Sandy  ?  Come  hither  the  instant,  man, 
and  share  your  wife's  fortunes,  in  weal  or  woe.  It 's  no  a 
moment  for  your  silly  discipline,  and  vainglorious  notions  of 
honour !  Sandy  ! — Sandy  !" 

Mabel  heard  the  bar  turn,  and  then  the  door  creaked  on 
its  hinges.  Expectation,  not  to  say  terror,  held  her  in  sus 
pense  at  the  loop,  and  she  soon  beheld  Jennie  rushing  through 
the  bushes,  in  the  direction  of  the  cluster  of  dead.  It  took 
the  woman  but  an  instant  to  reach  the  fatal  spot.  So  sudden 


346  THE   PATHFINDER. 

and  unexpected  had  been  the  blow,  that  she,  in  her  terror, 
did  not  appear  to  comprehend  its  weight.  Some  wild  and 
half-frantic  notion  of  a  deception  troubled  her  fancy,  and  she 
imagined  that  the  men  were  trifling  with  her  fears.  She  took 
her  husband's  hand,  and  it  was  still  warm,  while  she  thought 
a  covert  smile  was  struggling  on  his  lip. 

"  Why  will  ye  fool  life  away,  Sandy  ?"  she  cried,  pulling 
at  the  arm.  "Ye '11  all  be  murdered  by  these  accursed 
Indians,  and  you  no  takin'  to  the  block  like  trusty  soldiers  ! 
Awa' ! — awa',  and  no  be  losing  the  precious  moments." 

In  her  desperate  efforts,  the  woman  pulled  the  body  of  her 
husband  in  a  way  to  cause  the  head  to  turn  completely  over, 
when  the  small  hole  in  the  temple,  caused  by  the  entrance 
of  a  rifle  bullet,  and  a  few  drops  of  blood  trickling  over  the 
skin,  revealed  the  meaning  of  her  husband's  silence.  As  the 
horrid  truth  flashed,  in  its  full  extent,  on  her  mind,  the  wo 
man  clasped  her  hands,  gave  a  shriek  that  pierced  the  glades 
of  every  island  near,  and  fell  at  length  on  the  dead  body  of 
the  soldier.  Thrilling,  heart-reaching,  appalling  as  was  that 
shriek,  it  was  melody  to  the  cry  that  followed  it  so  quickly 
as  to  blend  the  sounds.  The  terrific  war-whoop  arose  out 
of  the  covers  of  the  island,  and  some  twenty  savages,  hor 
rible  in  their  paint,  and  the  other  devices  of  Indian  inge 
nuity,  rushed  forward,  eager  to  secure  the  coveted  scalps. 
Arrowhead  was  foremost,  and  it  was  his  tomahawk  that 
brained  the  insensible  Jennie,  and  her  reeking  hair  was  hang 
ing  at  his  girdle  as  a  trophy,  in  less  than  two  minutes  after 
she  had  quitted  the  block-house.  His  companions  were 
equally  active,  and  McNab  and  his  soldiers  no  longer  pre 
sented  the  quiet  aspect  of  men  who  slumbered.  They  were 
left  in  their  gore,  unequivocally  butchered  corpses. 

All  this  passed  in  much  less  time  than  has  been  required 
to  relate  it,  and  all  this  did  Mabel  witness.  She  had  stood 
riveted  to  the  spot,  gazing  on  the  whole  horrible  scene,  as  if 
enchained  by  some  charm,  nor  did  the  idea  of  self,  or  of  her 
own  danger,  once  obtrude  itself  on  her  thoughts.  But  no 
sooner  did  she  perceive  the  place  where  the  men  had  fallen, 
covered  with  savages,  exulting  in  the  success  of  their  sur 
prise,  than  it  occurred  to  her,  that  Jennie  had  left  the  block 
house  door  unbarred.  Her  heart  beat  violently,  for  that  de 
fence  alone  stood  between  her  and  immediate  death,  and  she 


THE  PATHFINDER.  347 

sprang  toward  the  ladder,  with  the  intention  of  descending 
to  make  sure  of  it.  Her  foot  had  not  yet  reached  the  floor 
of  the  second  story,  however,  when  she  heard  the  door  grat 
ing  on  its  hinges,  and  she  gave  herself  up  for  lost.  Sinking 
on  he:  knees,  the  terrified  but  courageous  girl,  endeavoured 
to  prepare  herself  for  death,  and  to  raise  her  thoughts  to  God. 
The  instinct  of  life,  however,  was  too  strong  for  prayer,  and 
while  her  lips  moved,  the  jealous  senses  watched  every  sound 
beneath.  When  her  ears  heard  the  bars,  which  went  on 
pivots,  secured  to  the  centre  of  the  door,  turning  into  their 
fastenings,  not  one,  as  she,  herself,  had  directed,  with  a  view 
to  admit  her  uncle,  should  he  apply,  but  all  three,  she  started 
-again  to  her  feet,  all  spiritual  contemplations  vanishing  in  her 
actual  temporal  condition,  and  it  seemed  as  if  all  her  faculties 
were  absorbed  in  the  sense  of  hearing. 

The  thoughts  are  active,  in  a  moment  so  fearful.  At  first 
Mabel  fancied  that  her  uncle  had  entered  the  block-house, 
and  she  was  about  to  descend  the  ladder  and  throw  herself 
into  his  arms ;  then  the  idea  that  it  might  be  an  Indian,  who 
had  barred  the  door  to  shut  out  intruders,  while  he  plundered 
at  leisure,  arrested  the  movement.  The  profound  stillness 
below,  was  unlike  the  bold,  restless  movements  of  Cap,  and 
it  seemed  to  savour  more  of  the  artifices  of  an  enemy ;  if  a 
friend,  at  all,  it  could  only  be  her  uncle,  or  the  Quarter- 
Master  ;  for  the  horrible  conviction  now  presented  itself  to 
our  heroine,  that  to  these  two,  and  herself,  were  the  whole 
party  suddenly  reduced,  if,  indeed,  the  two  latter  survived. 
This  consideration  held  Mabel  in  check,  and  for  quite  two 
minutes  more,  a  breathless  silence  reigned  in  the  building. 
During  this  time,  the  girl  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  upper  lad 
der,  the  trap  which  led  to  the  lower  opening  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the*  floor ;  the  eyes  of  Mabel  were  riveted  on  this 
spot,  for  she  now  began  to  expect  to  see,  at  each  instant,  the 
horrible  sight  of  a  savage  face  at  the  hole.  This  apprehen 
sion  soon  became  so  intense,  that  she  looked  about  her  for  a 
place  of  concealment.  The  procrastination  of  the  catastrophe 
she  now  fully  expected,  though  it  were  only  for  a  moment, 
afforded  a  relief.  The  room  contained  several  barrels,  and 
behind  two  of  these,  Mabel  crouched,  placing  her  eyes  at  an 
opening  by  which  she  could  still  watch  the  trap.  She  made 
another  effort  to  pray,  but  the  moment  was  too  horrible  for 


348  THE    PATHFINDER. 

that  relief.  She  thought,  too,  that  she  heard  a  low  rustling, 
as  if  one  were  ascending  the  lower  ladder,  with  an  effort  al 
caution,  so  great,  as  to  betray  itself  by  its  own  excess ;  then 
followed  a  creaking,  that  she  was  certain  came  from  one  of 
the  steps  of  the  ladder,  which  had  made  the  same  noise,  under 
her  own  light  weight,  as  she  ascended.  This  was  one  of 
those  instants,  into  which  are  compressed  the  sensations  of 
years  of  ordinary  existence. — Life,  death,  eternity,  and  ex 
treme  bodily  pain,  were  all  standing  out  in  bold  relief,  from 
the  plane  of  every-day  occurrences ;  and  she  might  have 
been  taken,  at  that  moment,  for  a  beautiful,  pallid  represent 
ation  of  herself,  equally  without  motion,  and  without  vitality. 
But,  while  such  was  the  outward  appearance  of  the  form, 
never  had  there  been  a  time,  in  her  brief  career,  when 
Mabel  heard  more  acutely,  saw  more  clearly,  or  felt  more 
vividly.  As  yet,  nothing  was  visible  at  the  trap ;  but  her  ears, 
rendered  exquisitely  sensitive  by  intense  feeling,  distinctly 
acquainted  her  that  some  one  was  within  a  few  inches  of  the 
opening  in  the  floor:  next  followed  the  evidence  of  her  eyes, 
which  beheld  the  dark  hair  of  an  Indian  rising  so  slowly 
through  the  passage,  that  the  movements  of  the  head  might 
be  likened  to  that  of  the  minute-hand  of  a  clock ;  then  came 
the  dark  skin  and  wild  features,  until  the  whole  of  the 
swarthy  face  had  risen  above  the  floor.  The  human  counte 
nance  seldom  appears  to  advantage,  when  partially  concealed, 
and  Mabel  imagined  many  additional  horrors,  as  she  first 
saw  the  black,  roving  eyes,  and  the  expression  of  wildness, 
as  the  savage  countenance  was  revealed,  as  it  might  be,  inch 
by  inch ;  but,  when  the  entire  head  was  raised  above  the 
floor,  a  second  and  a  better  look,  assured  our  heroine  that 
she  saw  the  gentle,  anxious,  and  even  handsome,  face  of 
June. 


THE   PATHFINDER. 


CHAPTER 

"—Spectre  though  I  be, 
I  am  not  sent  to  scare  thee  or  deceive ; 
But  m  reward  of  thy  fidelity." 

WORDSWORTH. 

IT  would  be  difficult  to  say  which  evinced  the  most  satis 
faction,  when  Mabel  sprang  to  her  feet  and  appeared  in  the 
centre  of  the  room, — our  heroine  on  finding  that  her  visiter 
was  the  wife  of  Arrowhead,  and  not  Arrowhead  himself  or 
June,  at  discovering  that  her  advice  had  been  followed,  and 
that  the  block-house  contained  the  person  she  had  so  anxi 
ously  and  almost  hopelessly  sought.  They  embraced  each 
other,  and  the  unsophisticated  Tuscarora  woman  laughed  in 
her  sweet  accents,  as  she  held  her  friend  at  arm's-length,  and 
made  certain  of  her  presence. 

"Block-house,  good,"  said  the  young  Indian — "got  no 
scalp." 

"  It  is,  indeed,  good,  June,"  Mabel  answered  with  a  shud 
der,  veiling  her  eyes  at  the  same  time,  as  if  to  shut  out  a 
view  of  the  horrors  she  had  so  lately  witnessed.  "  Tell  me, 
for  God's  sake !  if  you  know  what  has  become  of  my  dear 
uncle? — I  have  looked  in  all  directions,  without  being  able  to 
see  him." 

"No  here,  in  block-house?"  June  asked,  with  some 
curiosity. 

"  Indeed  he  is  not — I  am  quite  alone  in  this  place ;  Jennie, 
the  woman,  who  was  with  me,  having  rushed  out  to  join  her 
husband,  and  perishing  for  her  imprudence." 

"  June  know — June  see ;  very  bad,  Arrowhead  no  feel  for 
any  wife — no  feel  for  his  own." 

"  Ah  !  June ;  your  life,  at  least,  is  safe !" 

"  Don't  know — Arrowhead  kill  me,  if  he  know  all." 

"  God  bless  and  protect  you,  June — he  will  bless  and  pro 
tect  you  for  this  humanity.  TeU  me  what  is  to  be  done,  ana 
if  my  poor  uncle  is  still  living  ?" 

"  Don't  know.  Salt-water  has  boat ;  maybe  he  go  on 
river." 

30 


350  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  The  boat  is  still  on  the  shore,  but  neither  my  uncle  nor 
the  Quarter-Master  is  anywhere  to  be  seen*" 

"  No  kill,  or  June  would  see.  Hide  away  1  Red  man  hide ; 
no  shame  for  pale-face." 

"  It  is  not  the  shame  that  I  fear  for  them,  but  the  oppor 
tunity.  Your  attack  was  awfully  sudden,  June !" 

"  Tuscarora !"  returned  the  other,  smiling  with  exultatiou 
at  the  dexterity  of  her  husband.  "  Arrowhead  great  war- 
rior !" 

"  You  are  too  good  and  gentle  for  this  sort  of  life,  June ; 
you  cannot  be  happy  in  such  scenes !" 

June's  countenance  grew  clouded,  and  Mabel  fancied  there 
was  some  of  the  savage  fire  of  a  chief  in  her  frown  as  she 
answered : 

"  Yengeese  too  greedy — take  away  all  hunting  grounds— 
chase  Six  Nation  from  morning  to  night ;  wicked  king — wick 
ed  people.  Pale-face  very  bad." 

Mabel  knew  that,  even  in  that  distant  day,  there  was 
much  truth  in  this  opinion,  though  she  was  too  well  instruct 
ed  not  to  understand  that  the  monarch,  in  this  as  in  a  thousand 
other  cases,  was  blamed  for  acts  of  which  he  was  most  proba 
bly  ignorant.  She  felt  the  justice  of  the  rebuke,  therefore,  too 
much  to  attempt  an  answer,  and  her  thoughts  naturally  re 
verted  to  her  own  situation. 

"  And  what  am  I  to  do,  June  ?"  she  demanded.  "  It  can 
not  be  long  before  your  people  will  assault  this  building." 

"Block-house  good — got  no  scalp." 

"  But  they  will  soon  discover  that  it  has  got  no  garrison, 
too,  if  they  do  not  know  it  already.  You,  yourself,  told  me 
the  nurnber  of  people  that  were  on  the  island,  and  doubtless 
you  learned  it  from  Arrowhead." 

"  Arrowhead  know,"  answered  June,  holding  up  six  fingers 
to  indicate  the  number  of  the  men.  "  All  red  men  know.  Four 
lose  scalp  already — two  got  'em,  yet !" 

"  Do  not  speak  of  it,  June ;  the  horrid  thought  curdles  my 
blood.  Your  people  cannot  knc%  that  I  am  alone  in  the 
block-house,  but  may  fancy  my  uncle  and  the  Quarter-Mas 
ter  with  me,  and  may  set  fire  to  the  budding,  in  order  to  dis 
lodge  them.  They  tell  me  that  fire  is  the  great  danger  to 
such  places." 

"  No  burn  block-house,"  said  June,  quietly. 


THE   PATHFINDER.  351 

w  You  cannot  know  that,  my  good  June,  and  I  have  no 
means  to  keep  them  off." 

"  No  burn  block-house.     Block-house  good ;  got  no  scalp." 

"  But  tell  me  why,  June ;  I  fear  they  will  burn  it !" 

"Block-house  wet — much  rain — logs  green — no  burn  easy. 
Red  man  know  it — fine  t'ing — then  no  burn  it  to  tell  Yen- 
geese  that  Iroquois  been  here.  Fader  come  back,  miss 
block-house,  no  found.  No,  no;  Indian  too  much  cunning ; 
no  touch  any  thing." 

"  I  understand  you,  June,  and  hope  your  prediction  may 
be  true ;  for  as  regards  my  dear  father,  should  he  escape — 
perhaps  he  is  already  dead,  or  captured,  June?" 

"  No  touch  fader — don't  know  where  he  gone — water  got 
no  trail — red  man  can't  follow.  No  burn  block-house — 
block-house  good — got  no  scalp." 

"  Do  you  think  it  possible  for  me  to  remain  here,  safely, 
until  my  father  returns  ?" 

"  Don't  know  —  daughter  tell  best,  when  fader  come 
back." 

Mabel  felt  uneasy  at  the  glance  of  June's  dark  eye,  as 
she  uttered  this,  for  the  unpleasant  surmise  arose  that  her 
companion  was  endeavouring  to  discover  a  fact  that  might 
be  useful  to  her  own  people,  while  it  would  lead  to  the  de 
struction  of  her  parent  and  his  party.  She  was  about  to 
make  an  evasive  answer,  when  a  heavy  push  at  the  outer 
door,  suddenly  drew  all  her  thoughts  to  the  immediate 
danger. 

"  They  come !"  she  exclaimed, — "  perhaps,  June,  it  is  my 
ancle,  or  the  Quarter-Master.  I  cannot  keep  out  even  Mr. 
Muir  at  a  moment  like  this." 

"  Why  no  look — plenty  loop-hole — made  purpose." 

Mabel  took  the  hint,  and  going  to  one  of  the  downward 
loops,  that  had  been  cut  through  the  logs  in  the  part  that 
overhung  the  basement,  she  cautiously  raised  the  little  block 
that  ordinarily  filled  the  small  hole,  and  caught  a  glance  at 
what  was  passing  at  the  door.  The  start  and  changing 
countenance  told  her  companion  that  some  of  her  own  people 
were  below. 

"  Red  man,"  said  June,  lifting  a  finger  in  admonition  to 
he  prudent. 


352  THfi  PATHFINDER. 

"  Four ;  and  horrible  in  their  paint  and  bloody  trophic* 
Arrowhead  is  among  them." 

June  had  moved  to  a  corner,  where  several  spare  rifles 
had  been  deposited,  and  had  already  taken  one  into  her  hand, 
when  the  name  of  her  husband  appeared  to  arrest  her  move- 
ments.  It  was  but  for  an  instant,  however,  for  she  imme 
diately  went  to  the  loop,  and  was  about  to  thrust  the  muzzle 
of  the  piece  through  it,  when  a  feeling  of  natural  aversion 
induced  Mabel  to  seize  her  arm. 

"  No — no — no — June,"  said  the  latter — "  not  against  your 
own  husband,  though  my  life  be  the  penalty." 

"No  hurt  Arrowhead — "  returned  June,  with  a  slight 
shudder — "  no  hurt  red  man  at  all.  No  fire  at  'em ; — only 
scare." 

Mabel  now  comprehended  the  intention  of  June,  and  no 
longer  opposed  it.  The  latter  thrust  the  muzzle  of  the  rifle 
through  the  loop-hole,  and  taking  care  to  make  noise  enough 
to  attract  attention,  she  pulled  the  trigger.  The  piece  had  no 
sooner  been  discharged  than  Mabel  reproached  her  friend,  for 
the  very  act  that  was  intended  to  serve  her. 

"  You  declared  it  was  not  your  intention  to  fire,"  she  said, 
*  and  you  may  have  destroyed  your  own  husband." 

"  All  run  away  before  I  fire — "  returned  June  laughing, 
and  going  to  another  loop  to  watch  the  movements  of  her 
friends,  laughing  still  heartier. — "See — get  cover — every 
warrior.  Think  Salt-water  and  Quarter-Master  here.  Take 
good  care  now." 

"  Heaven  be  praised !  And  now,  June,  I  may  hope  for  a 
little  time  to  compose  my  thoughts  to  prayer,  that  I  may  not 
die  like  Jennie,  thinking  only  of  life  and  the  things  of  the 
world !" 

June  laid  aside  the  rifle,  and  came  and  seated  herself  near 
the  box  on  which  Mabel  had  sunk,  under  that  physical  reac 
tion  which  accompanies  joy  as  well  as  sorrow.  She  looked 
steadily  in  our  heroine's  face,  and  the  latter  thought  that  her 
countenance  had  an  expression  of  severity  mingled  with  its 
concern. 

"  Arrowhead  great  warrior — "  said  the  Tuscarora's  wife. — 
"  All  the  girls  of  tribe  look  at  him  much.  The  pale-faw 
beauty  has  eyes  too?" 


THE  PATHFINDER.  353 

"June! — what  do  these  words — that  look  imply — what 
would  you  say  ?" 

"  Why  you  so  'fraid  June  shoot  Arrowhead  ?" 

"  Would  it  not  have  been  horrible,  to  see  a  wife  destroy 
her  own  husband !  No,  June ;  rather  would  I  have  died 
myself." 

"  Very  sure,  dat  all  ?" 

"  That  was  all,  June,  as  God  is  my  judge — and  surely 
that  was  enough.  No — no — there  have  been  sufficient  hor 
rors  to-day,  without  increasing  them  by  an  act  like  this. 
What  other  motive  can  you  suspect?" 

"  Don't  know.  Poor  Tuscarora  girl  very  foolish.  Arrow 
head  great  chief,  and  look  all  round  him.  Talk  of  pale-face 
beauty  in  his  sleep. — Great  chief  like  many  wives." 

"  Can  a  chief  possess  more  than  one  wife,  June,  among 
your  people?" 

"  Have  as  many  as  he  can  keep — great  hunter  marry 
often.  Arrowhead  got  only  June  now,  but  he  look  too  much, 
— see  too  much — talk  too  much  of  pale-face  girl !" 

Mabel  was  conscious  of  this  fact,  which  had  distressed  her 
not  a  little,  in  the  course  of  their  journey ;  but  it  shocked  her 
to  hear  this  allusion,  coming,  as  it  did,  from  the  mouth  of 
the  wife  herself.  She  knew  that  habit  and  opinions  made 
great  differences  in  such  matters,  but,  in  addition  to  the  pain 
and  mortification  she  experienced  at  being  the  unwilling  rival 
of  a  wife,  she  felt  an  apprehension  that  jealousy  would  be  but 
an  equivocal  guarantee  for  her  personal  safety,  in  her  present 
situation.  A  closer  look  at  June,  however,  reassured  her ; 
for  while  it  was  easy  to  trace  in  the  unpractised  features  of 
this  unsophisticated  being,  the  pain  of  blighted  affections,  no 
distrust  could  have  tortured  the  earnest  expression  of  her  ho 
nest  countenance  into  that  of  treachery  or  hate. 

"  You  will  not  betray  me,  June,"  Mabel  said,  pressing  the 
other's  hand,  and  yielding  to  an  impulse  of  generous  confi 
dence.  "  You  will  not  give  up  one  of  your  own  sex  to  the 
tomahawk  ?" 

"  No  tomahawk  touch  you.  Arrowhead  no  let  'em.  If 
June  must  have  sister- wife,  love  to  have  you." 

"  No,  June ;  my  religion,  my  feelings,  both  forbid  it ;  and, 
if  I  could  be  the  wife  of  an  Indian  at  all,  I  would  never  take 
the  place  that  is  yours,  in  a  wigwam  J 
30* 


354  THE    PATHFINDER. 

June  made  no  answer,  but  she  looked  gratified,  and  even 
grateful.  She  knew  that  few,  perhaps  no  Indian  girl,  within 
the  circle  of  Arrowhead's  acquaintance,  could  compare  with 
herself  in  personal  attractions  ;  and  though  it  might  suit  her 
husband  to  marry  a  dozen  wives,  she  knew  of  no  one,  beside 
Mabel,  whose  influence  she  could  really  dread.  So  keen  an 
interest,  however,  had  she  taken  in  the  beauty,  winning  man 
ners,  kindness,  and  feminine  gentleness  of  our  heroine,  that 
when  jealousy  came  to  chill  these  feelings,  it  had  rather  lent 
strength  to  that  interest,  and,  under  its  wayward  influence, 
had  actually  been  one  of  the  strongest  of  the  incentives  that 
had  induced  her  to  risk  so  much,  in  order  to  save  her  ima 
ginary  rival  from  the  consequences  of  the  attack  that  she  so 
well  knew  was  about  to  take  place.  In  a  word,  June,  with 
a  wife's  keenness  of  perception,  had  detected  Arrowhead's 
admiration  of  Mabel,  and  instead  of  feeling  that  harrowing 
jealousy  that  might  have  rendered  her  rival  hateful,  as  would 
have  been  apt  to  be  the  case  with  a  woman  unaccustomed  to 
defer  to  the  superior  rights  of  the  lordly  sex,  she  had  studied 
the  looks  and  character  of  the  pale-face  beauty,  until,  meet 
ing  with  nothing  to  repel  her  own  feelings,  but  everything  to 
encourage  them,  she  had  got  to  entertain  an  admiration  and 
love  for  her,  which,  though  certainly  very  different,  was 
scarcely  less  strong  than  that  of  her  husband's.  Arrow 
head  himself  had  sent  her  to  warn  Mabel  of  the  coming  dan 
ger,  though  he  was  ignorant  that  she  had  stolen  upon  the 
island,  in  the  rear  of  the  assailants,  and  was  now  entrenched 
in  the  citadel  along  with  the  object  of  their  joint  care.  On 
the  contrary,  he  supposed,  as  his  wife  had  said,  that  Cap  and 
Muir  were  in  the  block-house  with  Mabel,  and  that  the 
attempt  to  repel  him  and  his  companions  had  been  made  by 
the  men. 

"  June  sorry,  *  the  Lily,' "  for  so  the  Indian,  in  her  poeti 
cal  language,  had  named  our  heroine — "June  sorry,  the 
Lily  no  marry  Arrowhead.  His  wigwam  big,  and  a  great 
chief  must  get  wives  enough  to  fill  it." 

"  I  thank  you,  June,  for  this  preference,  which  is  not  ac 
cording  to  the  notions  of  us  white  women,"  returned  Mabel, 
smiling  in  spite  of  the  fearful  situation  in  which  she  was 
placed ;  "  but  I  may  not,  probably  never  shall,  marry  at  all.' 


THE    PATHFINDER.  355 

"Must  have  good  husband,"  said  June — "marry  Eau- 
douce,  if  do'nt  like  Arrowhead." 

"  June !  this  is  not  a  fit  subject  for  a  girl  who  scarce  knows 
if  she  is  to  live  another  hour,  or  not.  I  would  obtain  some 
signs  of  my  dear  uncle's  being  alive,  and  safe,  if  possible." 

"  June  go  see." 

"  Can  you  ? — will  you  ? — would  it  be  safe  for  you  to  be 
seen  on  the  island — is  your  presence  known  to  the  warriors, 
and  would  they  be  pleased  to  find  a  woman  on  the  war-path 
with  them  ?" 

AH  this,  Mabel  asked  in  rapid  connection,  fearing  that  the 
answer  might  not  be  as  she  wished.  She  had  thought  it  ex 
traordinary  that  June  should  be  of  the  party,  and,  improba 
ble  as  it  seemed,  she  had  fancied  that  the  woman  had  covertly 
followed  the  Iroquois  in  her  own  canoe,  and  had  got  in  their 
advance,  merely  to  give  her  the  notice  which  had,  probably, 
saved  her  life.  But  in  all  this  she  was  mistaken,  as  June,  in 
her  imperfect  manner,  now  found  means  to  let  her  know. 

Arrowhead,  though  a  chief,  was  in  disgrace  with  his  own 
people,  and  was  acting  with  the  Iroquois,  temporarily,  though 
with  a  perfect  understanding.  He  had  a  wigwam,  it  is  true, 
but  was  seldom  in  it ;  feigning  friendship  for  the  English,  he 
had  passed  the  summer  ostensibly  in  their  service,  while  he 
was,  in  truth,  acting  for  the  French,  and  his  wife  journeyed 
with  him  in  his  many  migrations,  most  of  the  distances  being 
passed  over  in  canoes.  In  a  word,  her  presence  was  no 
secret,  her  husband  seldom  moving  without  her.  Enough  of 
this  to  embolden  Mabel  to  wish  that  her  friend  might  go  out, 
to  ascertain  the  fate  of  her  uncle,  did  June  succeed  in  letting 
the  other  know ;  and  it  was  soon  settled  between  them,  that 
the  Indian  woman  should  quit  the  block-house  with  that  object, 
the  moment  a  favourable  opportunity  offered. 

They  first  examined  the  island,  as  thoroughly  as  their  po 
sition  would  allow,  from  the  different  loops,  and  found  that 
its  conquerors  were  preparing  for  a  feast,  having  seized  upon 
the  provisions  of  the  English,  and  rifled  the  huts.  Most  of 
the  stores  were  in  the  block- house,  but  enough  were  found 
outside,  to  reward  the  Indians  for  an  attack  that  had  been 
attended  by  so  little  risk.  A  party  had  already  removed  the 
dead  bodies,  and  Mabel  saw  that*  their  arms  were  collected 
in  a  pile,  near  the  spot  chosen  for  the  banquet.  June  sug- 


356  THE   PATHFINDER. 

gested  that,  by  some  signs  which  she  understood,  the  dead, 
themselves,  were  carried  into  a  thicket,  and  either  buried,  01 
concealed  from  view.  None  of  the  more  prominent  objects 
on  the  island,  however,  were  disturbed,  it  being  the  desire  of 
the  conquerors  to  lure  the  party  of  the  serjeant  into  an  am 
bush,  on  its  return.  June  made  her  companion  observe  a 
man  in  a  tree,  a  look-out,  as  she  said,  to  give  timely  notice 
of  the  approach  of  any  boat,  although  the  departure  of  the 
expedition  being  so  recent,  nothing  but  some  unexpected  event 
would  be  likely  to  bring  it  back  so  soon.  There  did  not  ap 
pear  to  be  any  intention  to  attack  the  block-house  imme 
diately  ;  but  every  indication,  as  understood  by  June,  rather 
showed  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  Indians  to  keep  it  be 
sieged  until  the  return  of  the  Serjeant's  party,  lest  the  signs 
of  an  assault  should  give  a  warning  to  eyes  as  practised  as 
those  of  Pathfinder.  The  boat,  however,  had  been  secured, 
and  was  removed  to  the  spot  where  the  canoes  of  the  Indians 
were  hid  in  the  bushes. 

June  now  announced  her  intention  to  join  her  friends,  the 
moment  being  particularly  favourable  for  her  to  quit  the 
block- house.  Mabel  felt  some  distrust  as  they  descended  the 
ladder;  but,  at  the  next  instant,  she  was  ashamed  of  the 
feeling,  as  unjust  to  her  companion,  and  unworthy  of  her 
self:  and,  by  the  time  they  both  stood  on  the  ground,  her 
confidence  was  restored.  The  process  of  unbarring  the  door 
was  conducted  with  the  utmost  caution ;  and  when  the  last 
bar  was  ready  to  be  turned,  June  took  her  station  near  the 
spot  where  the  opening  must  necessarily  be.  The  bar  was 
just  turned  free  of  the  brackets — the  door  was  opened  merely 
wide  enough  to  allow  her  body  to  pass,  and  June  glided 
through  the  space.  Mabel  closed  the  door  again,  with  a  con 
vulsive  movement ;  and,  as  the  bar  turned  into  its  place,  her 
heart  beat  audibly.  She  then  felt  secure ;  and  the  two  other 
bars  were  turned  down  in  a  more  deliberate  manner.  When 
all  was  fast  again,  she  ascended  to  the  first  floor,  where,  alone, 
she  could  get  a  glimpse  of  what  was  going  on  without. 

Long,  and  painfully  melancholy  hours  passed,  during 
which  Mabel  had  no  intelligence  from  June.  She  heard  the 
yells  of  the  savages ;  for  liquor  had  carried  them  beyond  the 
bounds  of  precaution :  occasionally  caught  glimpses  of  their 
mad  orgies  through  the  loops,  and,  at  all  times,  was  con 


THE    PATHFINDER.  357 

ecious  of  their  fearful  presence,  by  sounds  and  sights  that 
would  have  chilled  the  blood  of  one  who  had  not  so  lately 
witnessed  scenes  so  much  more  terrible.  Toward  the  middle 
of  the  day,  she  fancied  she  saw  a  white  man  on  the  island, 
though  his  dress  and  wild  appearance  at  first  made  her  take 
him  for  a  newly  arrived  savage.  A  view  of  his  face,  al 
though  it  was  swarthy  naturally,  and  much  darkened  by 
exposure,  left  no  doubt  that  her  conjecture  was  true;  and 
she  felt  as  if  there  was  now  one  of  a  species  more  like  her 
own  present,  and  one  to  whom  she  might  appeal  for  succour 
in  the  last  emergency.  Mabel  little  knew,  alas !  how  small 
was  the  influence  exercised  by  the  whites  over  their  savage 
allies,  when  the  latter  had  begun  to  taste  of  blood ;  or  how 
slight,  indeed,  was  the  disposition  to  divert  them  from  their 
cruelties. 

The  day  seemed  a  month,  by  Mabel's  computation ;  and 
the  only  part  of  it  that  did  not  drag  were  the  minutes  spent 
in  prayer.  She  had  recourse  to  this  relief  from  time  to  time ; 
and  at  each  effort,  she  found  her  spirit  firmer,  her  mind  more 
tranquil,  and  her  tendency  to  resignation  more  confirmed. 
She  understood  the  reasoning  of  June ;  and  believed  it  high 
ly  probable  that  the  block-house  would  be  left  unmolested 
until  the  return  of  her  father,  in  order  to  entice  him  into  an 
ambuscade ;  and  she  felt  much  less  apprehension  of  imme 
diate  danger,  in  consequence:  but  the  future  offered  little 
ground  of  hope ;  and  her  thoughts  had  already  begun  to  cal 
culate  the  chances  of  her  captivity.  At  such  moments, 
Arrowhead,  and  his  offensive  admiration,  filled  a  prominent 
place  in  the  back-ground;  for  our  heroine  well  knew  that 
the  Indians  usually  carried  off  to  their  villages,  for  the  pur 
poses  of  adoption,  such  captives  as  they  did  not  slay ;  and 
that  many  instances  had  occurred,  in  which  individuals  of 
her  sex  had  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives  in  the  wig 
wams  of  their  conquerors.  Such  thoughts  as  these  inva 
riably  drove  her  to  her  knees,  and  to  her  prayers. 

While  the  light  lasted,  the  situation  of  our  heroine  was 
sufficiently  alarming,  but  as  the  shades  of  evening  gradually 
gathered  over  the  island,  it  became  fearfully  appalling.  By 
this  time,  the  savages  had  wrought  themselves  up  to  the 
point  of  fury,  for  they  had  possessed  themselves  of  all  the 
liquor  of  the  English,  and  their  outcries  and  gesticulations 


358 


THE    PATHFINDER. 


were  those  of  men  truly  possessed  of  evil  spirits.  All  the 
efforts  of  their  French  leader  to  restrain  them,  were  entirely 
fruitless,  and  he  had  wisely  withdrawn  to  an  adjacent  island, 
where  he  had  a  sort  of  bivouac,  that  he  might  keep  at  a  safe 
distance  from  friends  so  apt  to  run  into  excesses.  Before  quit 
ting  the  spot,  however,  this  officer,  at  great  risk  to  his  own 
life,  had  succeeded  in  extinguishing  the  fire,  and  in  securing 
the  ordinary  means  to  relight  it.  This  precaution  he  took, 
lest  the  Indians  should  burn  the  block-house,  the  preservation 
of  which  was  necessary  to  the  success  of  his  future  plans. 
He  would  gladly  have  removed  all  the  arms,  also,  but  this 
he  found  impracticable,  the  warriors  clinging  to  their  knives 
and  tomahawks  with  the  tenacity  of  men  who  regarded  a 
point  of  honour,  as  long  as  a  faculty  was  left ;  and  to  carry 
off  the  rifles,  and  leave  behind  him  the  very  weapons  that 
were  generally  used  on  such  occasions,  would  have  been  an 
idle  expedient.  The  extinguishing  of  the  fire,  proved  to  be 
the  most  prudent  measure,  for  no  sooner  was  the  officer's 
back  turned,  than  one  of  the  warriors,  in  fact,  proposed  to 
fire  the  block-house.  Arrowhead  had  also  withdrawn  from 
the  group  of  drunkards,  as  soon  as  he  found  that  they  were 
losing  their  senses,  and  had  taken  possession  of  a  hut,  where 
he  had  thrown  himself  on  the  straw,  and  sought  the  rest  that 
two  wakeful  and  watchful  nights  had  rendered  necessary.  It 
followed  that  no  one  was  left  among  the  Indians  to  care  for 
Mabel,  if  indeed  any  knew  of  her  existence  at  all ;  and  the 
proposal  of  the  drunkard  was  received  with  yells  of  delight 
by  eight  or  ten  more,  as  much  intoxicated  and  habitually  as 
brutal  as  himself. 

This  was  the  fearful  moment  for  Mabel.  The  Indians,  in 
their  present  condition,  were  reckless  of  any  rifles  that  the 
block-house  might  hold,  though  they  did  retain  dim  recollec 
tions  of  its  containing  living  beings,  an  additional  incentive  to 
their  enterprise,  and  they  approached  its  base  whooping 
and  leaping  like  demons.  As  yet  they  were  excited,  not 
overcome  by  the  liquor  they  had  drunk.  The  first  attempt 
was  made  at  the  door,  against  which  they  ran  in  a  body  ;  but 
the  solid  structure,  which  was  built  entirely  of  logs,  defied 
their  efforts.  The  rush  of  a  hundred  men,  with  the  same 
object,  would  have  been  useless.  This  Mabel,  however,  did 
not  know,  and  her  heart  seemed  to  leap  into  her  mouth,  as 


THE    PATHFINDER.  359 

she  heard  the  heavy  shock,  at  each  renewed  effort.  At 
ength,  when  she  found  that  the  door  resisted  these  assaults, 
as  if  it  were  of  stone,  neither  trembling,  nor  yielding,  and 
only  betraying  its  not  being  a  part  of  the  wall,  by  rattling  a 
little  on  its  heavy  hinges,  her  courage  revived,  and  she  seized 
the  first  moment  of  a  cessation,  to  look  down  through  the 
loop,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  learn  the  extent  of  her  danger. 
A  silence,  for  which  it  was  not  easy  to  account,  stimulated 
her  curiosity,  for  nothing  is  so  alarming  to  those  who  are 
conscious  of  the  presence  of  imminent  danger,  as  to  be  un 
able  to  trace  its  approach. 

Mabel  found  that  two  or  three  of  the  Iroquois  had  been 
raking  the  embers,  where  they  had  found  a -few  small  coals, 
and  with  these  they  were  endeavouring  to  light  a  fire.  The 
interest  with  which  they  laboured,  the  hope  of  destroying, 
and  the  force  of  habit  enabled  them  to  act  intelligently  and 
in  unison,  so  long  as  their  fell  object  was  kept  in  view.  A 
white  man  would  have  abandoned  the  attempt  to  light  a  fire 
in  despair,  with  coals  that  came  out  of  the  ashes  resembling 
sparks,  but  these  children  of  the  forests  had  many  expedients 
that  were  unknown  to  civilization.  By  the  aid  of  a  few  dry 
leaves,  which  they  alone  knew  where  to  seek,  a  blaze  was 
finally  kindled,  and  then  the  addition  of  a  few  light  sticks 
made  sure  of  the  advantage  that  had  been  obtained.  When 
Mabel  stooped  down  over  the  loop,  the  Indians  were  making 
a  pile  of  brush  against  the  door,  and  as  she  remained  gazing 
at  their  proceedings,  she  saw  the  twigs  ignite,  the  llame  dart 
from  branch  to  branch,  until  the  whole  pile  was  cracking  and 
snapping  under  a  bright  blaze.  The  Indians  now  gave  a 
yell  of  triumph  and  returned  to  their  companions,  well  assured 
that  the  work  of  destruction  was  commenced.  Mabel  re 
mained  looking  down,  scarcely  able  to  tear  heiself  away 
from  the  spot,  so  intense  and  engrossing  was  the  interest  she 
felt  in  the  progress  of  the  fire.  As  the  pile  kindled  through 
out,  however,  the  flames  mounted,  until  they  flashed  so  near 
her  eyes,  as  to  compel  her  to  retreat.  Just  as  she  reached 
(he  opposite  side  of  the  room,  to  which  she  had  retired  in  her 
alarm,  a  forked  stream  shot  up  through  the  loop-hole,  the  lid 
of  which  she  had  left  open,  and  illuminated  the  rude  apart 
ment,  with  Mabel  and  her  desolation.  Our  heroine  now 
naturally  enough  supposed  that  her  hour  was  come,  for  the 


360  THE  PATHFINDER. 

door,  the  only  means  of  retreat,  had  been  blocked  up  by  the 
brush  and  fire,  with  hellish  ingenuity,  and  she  addressed  her 
self,  as  she  believed  for  the  last  time,  to  her  Maker  in  prayer. 
Her  eyes  were  closed,  and  for  more  than  a  minute  her  spirit 
was  abstracted ;  but  the  interests  of  the  world  too  strongly 
divided  her  feelings,  to  be  altogether  suppressed ;  and  when 
they  involuntarily  opened  again,  she  perceived  that  the  streak 
of  flame  was  no  longer  flaring  ia  the  room,  though  the  wood 
around  the  little  aperture  had  kindled,  and  the  blaze  was 
slowly  mounting  under  the  impulsion  of  a  current  of  air  that 
sucked  inward.  A  barrel  of  water  stood  in  a  corner,  and 
Mabel,  acting  more  by  instinct  than  by  reason,  caught  up  a 
vessel,  filled  it,  and  pouring  it  on  the  wood  with  a  trembling 
hand,  succeeded  in  extinguishing  the  fire,  at  that  particular 
spot.  The  smoke  prevented  her  from  looking  down  again 
for  a  couple  of  minutes  ;  but  when  she  did,  her  heart  beat 
high  with  delight  and  hope,  at  finding  that  the  pile  of  blazing 
brush  had  been  overturned  and  scattered,  and  that  water  had 
been  thrown  on  the  logs  of  the  door,  which  were  still  smo 
king,  though  no  longer  burning. 

"  Who  is  there?"  said  Mabel,  with  her  mouth  at  the  loop. 
"  What  friendly  hand  has  a  merciful  Providence  sent  to  my 
succour  ?" 

A  light  footstep  was  audible  below,  and  one  of  those  gentle 
pushes  at  the  door  was  heard,  which  just  moved  the  massive 
beams  on  the  hinges. 

"  Who  wishes  to  enter  ? — Is  it  you,  dear,  dear  uncle  ?" 

"  Salt-water  no  here.  St.  Lawrence  sweet  water,"  was 
the  answer.  "  Open  quick — want  to  come  in." 

The  step  of  Mabel  was  never  lighter,  or  her  movements 
more  qaick  and  natural,  than  while  she  was  descending  the 
ladder  and  turning  the  bars,  for  all  her  motions  were  earnest 
and  active.  This  time  she  thought  only  of  her  escape,  and 
she  opened  the  door  with  a  rapidity  that  did  not  admit  of  cau 
tion.  Her  first  impulse  was  to  rush  into  the  open  air,  in  the 
blind  hope  of  quitting  the  block-house,  but  June  repulsed 
the  attempt,  and,  entering,  she  coolly  barred  the  door  again, 
before  she  would  notice  Mabel's  eager  efforts  to  embrace  her. 

"  Bless  you — bless  you,  June,"  cried  our  heroine  most  fer 
vently — "  you  are  sent  by  Providence  to  be  my  guardian 
angel !" 


THE    PATHFINDER.  361 

"  No  hug  so  tight — "  answered  the  Tuscarora  woman. — 
"  Pale-face  woman  all  cry,  or  all  laugh.  Let  June  fasten 
door." 

Mabel  became  more  rational,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  two 
were  again  in  the  upper  room,  seated  as  before,  hand  in  hand, 
all  feeling  of  distrust  or  rivalry  between  them,  being  ban 
ished  on  the  one  side  by  the  consciousness  of  favours  received, 
and  on  the  other  by  the  consciousness  of  favours  conferred. 

"  Now  tell  me,  June,"  Mabel  commenced,  as  soon  as  she 
had  given  and  received  one  warm  embrace,  "  have  you  seen 
or  heard  aught  of  my  poor  uncle  ?" 

"  Don't  know.  No  one  see  him ;  no  one  hear  him  ;  no 
one  know  any  t'ing.  Salt-water  run  into  river,  I  t'ink,  for 
I  no  find  him.  Quarter-Master  gone  too.  I  look,  and  look, 
and  look ;  but  no  see  'em,  one,  t'other,  no  where." 

"  Blessed  be  God  !  They  must  have  escaped,  though  the 
means  are  not  known  to  us.  I  thought  I  saw  a  Frenchman 
on  the  island,  June?" 

"  Yes — French  captain  come,  but  he  go  away,  too.  Plenty 
of  Indian  on  island." 

"  Oh  !  June,  June,  are  there  no  means  to  prevent  my  be 
loved  father  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies  ?" 

"  Don't  know ;  t'ink  dat  warriors  wait  in  ambush,  and 
Yengeese  must  lose  scalp." 

"  Surely,  surely,  June,  you,  who  have  done  so  much  for 
the  daughter,  will  not  refuse  to  help  the  father !" 

"Don't  know  fader  —  don't  love  fader.  June  help  her 
own  people,  help  Arrowhead — husband  love  scalp." 

"  June,  this  is  not  yourself!  I  cannot,  will  not  believe,  that 
you  wish  to  see  our  men  murdered  !" 

June  turned  her  dark  eyes  quietly  on  Mabel,  and,  for  a 
moment,  her  look  was  stern,  though  it  was  soon  changed  into 
one  of  melancholy  compassion. 

"  Lily,  Yengeese  girl  ?"  she  said,  as  one  asks  a  question. 

"  Certainly,  and  as  a  Yengeese  girl,  I  would  save  my 
countrymen  from  slaughter." 

"  Very  good — if  can.  June  no  Yengeese ;  June  Tuscarora 
—  got  Tuscarora  husband  —  Tuscarora  heart  —  Tuscarora 
feeling — all  over  Tuscarora.  Lily  wouldn't  run  and  tell 
French  that  her  fader  was  coming  to  gain  victory  ?" 

**  Perhaps  not,"  returned  Mabel,  pressing  a  hand  on  a 
31 


362  THE    PATHFINDER. 

brain  that  felt  bewildered, — "  perhaps  not ;  but  you  serve  me, 
aid  me — have  saved  me,  June !  Why  have  yen  done  this,  if 
you  only  feel  as  a  Tuscarora  ?" 

"  Don't  only  feel  as  Tuscarora — feel  as  girl — feel  as 
squaw.  Love  pretty  Lily,  and  put  it  in  my  bosom." 

Mabel  melted  into  tears,  and  she  pressed  the  affectionate 
creature  to  her  heart.  It  was  near  a  minute  before  she  could 
renew  the  discourse,  but  then  she  succeeded  in  speaking  more 
calmly  and  with  greater  coherence. 

"  Let  me  know  the  worst,  June ;"  she  said.  "  To-night, 
your  people  are  feasting;  what  do  they  intend  to  do  to 
morrow  ?" 

"Don't  know — afraid  to  see  Arrowhead — afraid  to  ask 
question — t'ink  hide  away,  till  Yengeese  come  back." 

"  Will  they  not  attempt  any  thing  against  the  block-house  ? 
You  have  seen  what  they  can  threaten  if  they  will  ?" 

"  Too  much  rum.  Arrowhead  sleep,  or  no  dare ;  French 
captain  gone  away,  or  no  dare.  All  go  to  sleep,  now.'' 

"  And  you  think  I  am  safe  for  this  night,  at  least  ?" 

"  Too  much  rum.  If  Lily  like  June,  might  do  much  for 
her  people." 

"  I  am  like  you,  June,  if  a  wish  to  serve  my  countrymen 
can  make  a  resemblance  with  one  as  courageous  as  your 
self." 

»  No — no — no" — muttered  June,  in  a  low  voice ;  "  no  got 
heart,  and  June  no  let  you,  if  had.  June's  moder  prisoner 
once,  and  warriors  got  drunk  ;  moder  tomahawked  'em  all 
Such  the  way  red-skin  women  do,  when  people  in  danger 
and  want  scalp." 

"  You  say  what  is  true,"  returned  Mabel,  shuddering,  and 
unconsciously  dropping  June's  hand.  "  I  cannot  do  that. 
I  have  neither  the  strength,  the  courage,  nor  the  will  to  dip 
my  hands  in  blood." 

*'  T'ink  that  too ;  then  stay  where  you  be — block-house 
good — got  no  scalp." 

"  You  believe,  then,  that  I  am  safe  here,  at  least  until  my 
father  and  his  people  return  ?" 

"Know  so.  No  dare  touch  block-house  in  morning. 
Hark !  all  still  now — drink  rum  till  head  fall  down,  and 
sleep  like  log." 

"Might  I  not  escape?    Are  there  not  several  canoes  on 


THE    PATHFINDER.  "363 

the  island  ? — might  I  not  get  one,  and  go  and  give  my  father 
notice  of  what  has  happened  ?" 

'*  Know  how  to  paddle  ?"  demanded  June,  glancing  her  eye 
furtively  at  her  companion. 

"  Not  so  well  as  yourself,  perhaps ;  but  enough  to  get  out 
of  sight  before  morning." 

"  What  do  then  1 — couldn't  paddle  six — ten — eight  mile !" 

"  I  do  not  know ;  I  would  do  much  to  warn  my  father, 
and  the  excellent  Pathfinder,  and  all  the  rest,  of  the  danger 
they  are  in." 

"Like  Pathfinder?" 

"  All  like  him  who  know  him — you  would  like  him,  nay, 
love  him,  if  you  only  knew  his  heart !" 

"  No  like  him,  at  all.  Too  good  rifle — too  good  eye — 
too  much  shoot  Iroquois,  and  June's  people.  Must  get  his 
scalp  if  can." 

"  And  I  must  save  it,  if  I  can,  June.  In  this  respect,  then, 
we  are  opposed  to  each  other.  I  will  go  and  find  a  canoe 
the  instant  they  are  all  asleep,  and  quit  the  island." 

"  No  can — June  won't  let  you.     Call  Arrowhead." 

"  June !  you  would  not  betray  me — you  could  not  give 
me  up,  after  all  you  have  done  for  me  ?" 

"  Just  so,"  returned  June,  making  a  backward  gesture  with 
her  hand,  and  speaking  with  a  warmth  and  earnestness 
Mabel  had  never  witnessed  in  her  before.  "  Call  Arrowhead 
in  loud  voice.  One  call  from  wife,  wake  a  warrior  up. 
June  no  let  Lily  help  enemy — no  let  Indian  hurt  Lily." 

"  I  understand  you,  June,  and  feel  the  nature  and  justice 
of  your  sentiments  ;  and,  after  all,  it  were  better  that  I  should 
remain  here,  for  I  have  most  probably  overrated  my  strength. 
But,  tell  me  one  thing :  if  my  uncle  comes  in  the  night,  and 
asks  to  be  admitted,  you  will  let  me  open  the  door  of  the 
block-house  that  he  may  enter." 

"  Sartain — he  prisoner  here,  and  June  like  prisoner,  better 
than  scalp ;  scalp  good  for  honour,  prisoner  good  for  feeling. 
But,  Salt-water  hide  so  close,  he  don't  know  where  he  be, 
himself." 

Here  June  laughed,  in  her  girlish  mirthful  way,  for  to  her, 
scenes  of  violence  were  too  familiar  to  leave  impressions  suf 
ficiently  deep  to  change  her  natural  character.  A  long  and 
discursive  dialogue  now  followed,  in  which  Mabel  endeavoured 


364  THE    PATHFINDER. 

to  obtain  clearer  notions  of  her  actual  situation,  under  a  faint 
hope  that  she  might  possibly  be  enabled  to  turn  some  of  the 
facts  she  thus  learned,  to  advantage.  June  answered  all  her 
interrogatories,  simply,  but  with  a  caution  which  showed  she 
fully  distinguished  between  that  which  was  immaterial,  and 
that  which  might  endanger  the  safety,  or  embarrass  the  future 
operations  of  her  friends.  Our  heroine  was  incapable  o 
making  an  attempt  to  entrap  her  companion,  though  sho 
plainly  perceived,  that,  could  she  have  been  guilty  of  the 
meanness,  she  would  have  found  the  undertaking  one  of  ex 
treme  difficulty.  June,  however,  was  not  required  to  exercise 
more  than  a  discreet  discrimination  about  what  she  revealed  ; 
and  the  substance  of  the  information  she  gave,  may  be  sum 
med  up  as  follows. 

Arrowhead  had  long  been  in  communication  with  the 
French,  though  this  was  the  first  occasion  on  which  he  had 
ever,  entirely,  thrown  aside  the  mask.  He  no  longer  in 
tended  to  trust  himself  among  the  English,  for  he  had  disco 
vered  traces  of  distrust,  particularly  in  Pathfinder ;  and  with 
Indian  bravado,  he  now  rather  wished  to  blazon  than  to 
conceal  his  treachery.  He  had  led  the  party  of  warriors,  in 
the  attack  on  the  island,  subject,  however,  to  the  supervision 
of  the  Frenchman  who  has  been  mentioned,  though  June 
declined  saying  whether  he  had  been  the  means  of  discover 
ing  the  position  of  a  place,  that  had  been  thought  to  be  so 
concealed  from  the  eyes  of  the  enemy,  or  not.  On  this  point, 
she  would  say  nothing ;  but  she  admitted  that  she  and  her 
husband  had  been  watching  the  departure  of  the  Scud,  at  the 
time  they  were  overtaken,  and  captured  by  the  cutter.  The 
French  had  obtained  their  information  of  the  precise  position 
of  the  station,  but  very  recently  ;  and  Mabel  felt  a  pang,  like 
that  of  some  sharp  instrument,  piercing  her  heart,  when  she 
thought  that  there  were  covert  allusions  of  the  Indian  woman, 
which  would  convey  the  meaning  that  the  intelligence  had 
come  from  a  pale-face,  in  the  employment  of  Duncan  of 
Lundie.  This  was  intimated,  however,  rather  than  said  ;  and 
when  Mabel  had  time  to  reflect  on  her  companion's  words, 
and  to  remember  how  sententious  and  brief  her  periods  were, 
she  found  room  to  hope  that  she  had  misunderstood  her,  and 
that  Jasper  Western  would  yet  come  out  of  the  affair,  freed 
from  every  injurious  imputation. 


1HB   PATHFINDER.  365 

June  did  not  hesitate  to  confess  that  she  had  been  sent  to 
the  island,  to  ascertain  the  precise  number,  and  the  occupa 
tions  of  those  who  had  been  left  on  it,  though  she  also  be 
trayed,  in  her  naive  way,  that  the  wish  to  serve  Mabel,  had 
induced  her,  principally,  to  consent  to  come.  In  consequence 
of  her  report,  and  information  otherwise  obtained,  the  enemy 
was  aware  of  precisely  the  force  that  could  be  brought  against 
them  ;  they  also  knew  the  number  of  men  that  had  gone  with 
Serjeant  Dunham,  and  were  acquainted  with  the  object  he  had 
in  view,  though  they  were  ignorant  of  the  spot  where  he  ex 
pected  to  meet  the  French  boats.  It  would  have  been  a 
pleasant  sight  to  witness  the  eager  desire  of  each  of  these  two 
sincere  females,  to  ascertain  all  that  might  be  of  consequence 
to  their  respective  friends ;  and  yet  the  native  delicacy,  with 
which  each  refrained  from  pressing  the  other  to  make  reve 
lations  that  would  have  been  improper,  as  well  as  the  sensi 
tive,  almost  intuitive,  feeling,  with  which  each  avoided  saying 
aught  that  might  prove  injurious  to  her  own  nation:  as  re 
spects  each  other,  there  was  perfect  confidence ;  as  regarded 
their  respective  people,  entire  fidelity.  June  was  quite  a« 
anxious,  as  Mabel  could  be  on  any  other  point,  to  kno* 
where  the  serjeant  had  gone,  and  when  he  was  expected  10 
return  ;  but  she  abstained  from  putting  the  question,  with  a 
delicacy  that  would  have  done  honour  to  the  highest  civiliza 
tion;  nor  did  she  once  frame  any  other  inquiry,  in  a  way  to 
lead,  indirectly,  to  a  betrayal  of  the  much-desired  informa 
tion,  on  that  particular  point ;  though,  when  Mabel,  of  her 
own  accord,  touched  on  any  matter  that  might,  by  possibility, 
throw  a  light  on  the  subject,  she  listened  with  an  intentness 
that  almost  suspended  respiration. 

In  this  manner,  the  hours  passed  away  unheeded;  for 
both  were  too  much  interested  to  think  of  rest.  Nature  as 
serted  her  rights,  however,  towards  morning;  and  Mabel 
was  persuaded  to  lie  down  on  one  of  the  straw  beds  provided 
for  the  soldiers,  where  she  soon  fell  into  a  deep  sleep.  June 
lay  near  her ;  and  a  quiet  reigned  on  the  whole  island,  as 
profound  as  if  the  dominion  of  the  forest  had  never  been  in 
vaded  by  man. 

When  Mabel  awoke,  the  light  of  the  sun  was  streaming  in 
through  the  loop-holes ;  and  she  found  that  the  day  was  con 
siderably  advanced.  June  still  lay  near  her,  sleeping  as 
31  * 


366  THE   PATHFINDER. 

tranquilly  as  if  she  reposed  on — we  will  not  say  down,  for 
the  superior  civilization  of  our  own  times  repudiates  tho 
simile — but  on  a  French  mattress ;  and  as  profoundly  as  if 
she  had  never  experienced  concern.  The  movements  of 
Mabel,  notwithstanding,  soon  awakened  one  so  accustomed 
to  vigilance ;  and  then  the  two  took  a  survey  of  what  was 
passing  around  them,  by  means  of  the  friendly  apertures. 


CHAPTEE  XXIII. 

"  What  had  the  Eternal!  Maker  need  of  thee, 
The  world  in  his  continuall  course  to  keepe, 
That  doest  all  thing's  deface  ?  ne  lettest  see 
The  beautie  of  his  worke  ?     Indcede  in  sleepe, 
The  slouthfull  body  that  doth  love  to  steepe 
His  lustlesse  limbs,  and  drowne  his  baser  mind, 
Doth  praise  thee  oft,  and  oft  from  Stygian  deepe, 
Calles  thee  his  goddesse,  in  his  errour  blind, 
And  great  dame  Nature's  hand-maide,  chearing  every  kind." 

FAERIE  QUEEN. 

THE  tranquillity  of  the  previous  night  was  not  contradicted 
by  the  movements  of  the  day.  A  Ithough  Mabel  and  June  went 
to  every  loop-hole,  not  a  sign  of  the  presence  of  a  living  being 
on  the  island  was  at  first  to  be  seen,  themselves  excepted. 
There  was  a  smothered  fire  on  the  spot  where  McNab  and 
his  comrades  had  cooked,  as  if  the  smoke  that  curled  up 
wards  from  it  was  intended  as  a  lure  to  the  absent ;  and  all 
around  the  huts  had  been  restored  to  former  order  and 
arrangement.  Mabel  started  involuntarily,  when  her  eye  at 
length  fell  on  a  group  of  three  men,  dressed  in  the  scarlet  of 
the  55th,  seated  on  the  grass,  in  lounging  attitudes,  as  if  they 
chatted  in  listless  security ;  and  her  blood  curdled,  as,  on  a 
second  look,  she  traced  the  bloodless  faces  and  glassy  eyes 
of  the  dead.  They  were  quite  near  the  block-house ;  so  near, 
indeed,  as  to  have  been  overlooked  at  the  first  eager  inquiry : 
and  there  was  a  mocking  levity  in  their  postures  and  ges 
tures,  for  their  limbs  were  stiffening  in  different  attitudes, 
intended  to  resemble  life,  at  which  the  soul  revolted,  Still, 


THE    PATHFINDER.  367 

horrible  as  these  objects  were  to  those  near  enough  to  dis 
cover  the  frightful  discrepancy  between  their  assumed  and 
their  real  characters,  the  arrangement  had  been  made  with 
an  art  that  would  have  deceived  a  negligent  observer,  at 
the  distance  of  a  hundred  yards.  After  carefully  exam 
ining  the  shores  of  the  island,  June  pointed  out  to  her  com 
panion  the  fourth  soldier,  seated  with  his  feet  hanging  over 
the  water,  his  back  fastened  to  a  sapling,  and  holding  a  fish- 
ing-rod  in  his  hand.  The  scalpless  heads  were  covered  with 
the  caps,  and  all  appearance  of  blood  had  been  carefully 
washed  from  each  countenance. 

Mabel  sickened  at  this  sight,  which  not  only  did  so  much 
violence  to  all  her  notions  of  propriety,  but  which  was  in  it 
self  so  revolting,  and  so  opposed  to  natural  feeling.  She 
withdrew  to  a  seat,  and  hid  her  face  in  her  apron  for  several 
minutes,  until  a  low  call  from  June  again  drew  her  to  a  loop 
hole.  The  latter  then  pointed  out  the  body  of  Jennie,  seem 
ingly  standing  in  the  door  of  a  hut,  leaning  forward  as  if  to 
look  at  the  group  of  men,  her  cap  fluttering  in  the  wind,  and 
her  hand  grasping  a  broom.  The  distance  was  too  great  to 
distinguish  the  features  very  accurately ;  but  Mabel  fancied 
that  the  jaw  had  been  depressed,  as  if  to  distort  the  mouth 
into  a  sort  of  horrible  laugh. 

'*  June !  June !"  she  exclaimed,  "  this  exceeds  all  I  have 
ever  heard,  or  imagined  as  possible,  in  the  treachery  and 
artifices  of  your  people." 

"  Tuscarora  very  cunning ;"  said  June,  in  a  way  to  show 
that  she  rather  approved  of,  than  condemned,  the  uses  to 
which  the  dead  bodies  had  been  applied.  "  Do  soldier  no 
harm  now;  do  Iroquois  good;  got  the  scalp,  first;  now 
make  bodies  work.  By  and  by,  burn  'em." 

This  speech  told  Mabel  how  far  she  was  separated  from 
her  friend  in  character ;  and  it  was  several  minutes  before 
she  could  again  address  her.  But  this  temporary  aversion 
was  lost  on  June,  who  set  about  preparing  their  simple  break 
fast,  in  a  way  to  show  how  insensible  she  was  to  feelings  in 
others,  that  her  own  habits  taught  her  to  discard.  Afabel 
ate  sparingly,  and  her  companion  as  if  nothing  hud  hap 
pened.  Then  they  had  leisure  again  for  their  thoughts,  and 
(or  further  surveys  of  the  island.  Our  heroine,  though  de 
voured  with  a  feverish  desire  to  be  always  at  the  loops,  sei- 


368  THE  PATHFINDER. 

dom  went  that  she  did  not  immediately  quit  them  in  disgust, 
though  compelled  by  her  apprehensions  to  return  again  in  a 
few  minutes,  called  by  the  rustling  of  leaves,  or  the  sighing 
of  the  wind.  It  was,  indeed,  a  solemn  thing,  to  look  out 
upon  that  deserted  spot,  peopled  by  the  dead  in  the  panoply 
of  the  living,  and  thrown  into  the  attitudes  and  acts  of  care 
less  merriment  and  rude  enjoyment.  The  effect  on  our  he 
roine  was  much  as  if  she  had  found  herself  an  observer  of 
the  revelries  of  demons. 

Throughout  the  livelong  day,  not  an  Indian  nor  a  French 
man  was  to  be  seen,  and  night  closed  over  the  frightful  but 
silent  masquerade,  with  the  steady  and  unalterable  progress 
with  which  the  earth  obeys  her  laws,  indifferent  to  the  petty 
actors,  and  petty  scenes,  that  are  in  daily  bustle  and  daily 
occurrence  on  her  bosom.  The  night  was  far  more  quiet 
than  that  which  had  preceded  it,  and  Mabel  slept  with  an 
increasing  confidence,  for  she  now  felt  satisfied  that  her  own 
fate  would  not  be  decided  until  the  return  of  her  father.  The 
following  day  he  was  expected,  however,  and  when  our  he 
roine  awoke,  she  ran  eagerly  to  the  loops  in  order  to  ascer 
tain  the  state  of  the  weather  and  the  aspect  of  the  skies,  as 
well  as  the  condition  of  the  island.  There  lounged  the  fearful 
group  on  the  grass ;  the  fisherman  still  hung  over  the  water, 
seemingly  intent  on  his  sport ;  and  the  distorted  countenance 
of  Jennie  glared  from  out  the  hut,  in  horrible  contortions. 
But  the  weather  had  changed.  The  wind  blew  fresh  from 
the  southward,  and  though  the  air  was  bland,  it  was  filled 
with  the  elements  of  storm. 

"  This  grows  more  and  more  difficult  to  bear,  June,"  Ma 
bel  said,  when  she  left  the  window.  "  I  could  even  prefer  to 
see  the  enemy,  than  to  look  any  longer  on  this  fearful  array 
of  the  dead." 

"  Hush ; — here  they  come.  June  thought  hear  a  cry,  like 
a  warrior's  shout  when  he  take  a  scalp." 

"  What  mean  you ! — There  is  no  more  butchery !  There 
can  be  no  more." 

"  Salt- water !"  exclaimed  June,  laughing,  as  she  stood 
peeping  through  a  loop-hole. 

"  My  dear  uncle ! — Thank  God,  he  then  lives. — Oh !  June 
— June,  you  will  not  let  them  harm  Aim?" 


THE    PATHFINDER.  369 

"  June  poor  squaw.— What  warrior  t'ink  of  what  she  say  1 
Arrowhead  bring  him  here." 

By  this  time  Mabel  was  at  a  loop,  and,  sure  enough,  there 
were  Cap  and  the  Quarter-Master  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians, 
eight  or  ten  of  whom  were  conducting  them  to  the  foot  of  the 
block ;  for,  by  this  capture,  the  enemy  now  well  knew  that 
there  could  be  no  man  in  the  building.  Mabel  scarcely 
breathed  until  the  whole  party  stood  ranged  directly  before 
the  door,  when  she  was  rejoiced  to  see  that  the  French  offi 
cer  was  among  them.  A  low  conversation  followed,  in 
which  both  the  white  leader  and  Arrowhead  spoke  earnestly 
to  their  captives,  when  the  Quarter-Master  called  out  to  her, 
in  a  voice  loud  enough  to  be  heard. 

"  Pretty  Mabel !— Pretty  Mabel !"  he  said—"  look  out  of 
one  of  the  loop-holes,  and  pity  our  condition.  We  are 
threatened  with  instant  death,  unless  you  open  the  door  to 
the  conquerors.  Relent  then,  or  we  '11  no  be  wearing  our 
scalps  half  an  hour  from  this  blessed  moment !" 

Mabel  thought  there  were  mockery  and  levity  in  this  ap 
peal,  and  its  manner  rather  fortified  than  weakened  her  reso 
lution  to  hold  the  place  as  long  as  possible. 

"  Speak  to  me,  uncle,"  she  said,  with  her  mouth  at  a  loop, 
"  and  tell  me  what  I  ought  to  do." 

"  Thank  God  ! — thank  God  !"  ejaculated  Cap  :  "  the  sound 
of  your  sweet  voice,  Magnet,  lightens  my  heart  of  a  heavy 
load,  for  I  feared  you  had  shared  the  fate  of  poor  Jennie. 
My  breast  has  felt  the  last  four-and -twenty  hours  as  if  a  ton 
of  kentledge  had  been  stowed  in  it.  You  ask  me  what  you 
ought  to  do,  child,  and  I  do  not  know  how  to  advise  you, 
though  you  are  my  own  sister's  daughter  !  The  most  I  can 
say,  just  now,  my  poor  girl,  is  most  heartily  to  curse  the 
day  you  or  I  ever  saw  this  bit  of  fresh  water." 

"But,  uncle,  is  your  life  in  danger — do  you  think  I  ought 
to  open  the  door?" 

"  A  round  turn,  and  two  half-hitches  make  a  fast  belay  : 
and  I  would  counsel  no  one,  who  is  out  of  the  hands  of  these 
devils,  to  unbar  or  unfasten  any  thing,  in  order  to  fall  into 
them.  As  to  the  Quarter-Master  and  myself,  we  are  both 
elderly  men,  and  not  of  much  account  to  mankind  in  general, 
as  honest  Pathfinder  would  say  ;  and  it  can  make  no  great 
odds  to  him,  whether  he  balances  the  purser's  books  this  year 


370  THE    PATHFINDER. 

or  the  next ;  and  as  for  myself,  why,  if  I  were  on  the  sea 
board,  I  should  know  what  to  do — but  up  here,  in  this  watery 
wilderness,  I  can  only  say,  that  if  I  were  behind  that  bit  of  a 
bulwark,  it  would  take  a  good  deal  of  Indian  logic  to  rowso 
me  out  of  it." 

"  You  '11  no  be  minding  all  your  uncle  says,  pretty  Mabel," 
put  in  Muir,  "  for  distress  is  obviously  fast  unsettling  his 
faculties,  and  he  is  far  from  calculating  all  the  necessities  of  the 
emergency.  We  are  in  the  hands,  here,  of  very  considerate 
and  gentlemanly  pairsons,  it  must  be  acknowledged,  and  one 
has  little  occasion  to  apprehend  disagreeable  violence.  The 
casualties  that  have  occurred,  are  the  common  incidents  of 
war,  and  can  no  change  our  sentiments  of  the  enemy,  for 
they  are  far  from  indicating  that  any  injustice  will  be  done 
the  prisoners.  I  'm  sure  that  neither  Master  Cap,  nor  myself, 
has  any  cause  of  complaint,  since  we  have  given  ourselves 
up  to  Master  Arrowhead,  who  reminds  me  of  a  Roman,  or  a 
Spartan,  by  his  virtues  and  moderation  ;  but  ye  '11  be  remem 
bering  that  usages  differ,  and  that  our  scalps  may  be  lawful 
sacrifices  to  appease  the  manes  of  fallen  foes,  unless  you 
save  them  by  capitulation." 

"  I  shall  do  wiser  to  keep  within  the  block-house,  until  the 
fate  of  the  island  is  settled,"  returned  Mabel.  "  Our  enemies 
can  feel  no  concern  on  account  of  one  like  me,  knowing  that 
I  can  do  them  no  harm ;  and  I  greatly  prefer  to  remain  here, 
as  more  befitting  my  sex,  and  years." 

"  If  nothing  but  your  convenience  were  concerned,  Mabel, 
we  should  all  cheerfully  acquiesce  in  your  wishes ;  but  these 
gentlemen  fancy  that  the  work  will  aid  their  operations,  and 
they  have  a  strong  desire  to  possess  it.  To  be  frank  with 
you,  finding  myself,  and  your  uncle,  in  a  very  peculiar  situ 
ation,  I  acknowledge  that,  to  avert  consequences,  I  have  as 
sumed  the  power  that  belongs  to  His  Majesty's  commission, 
and  entered  into  a  verbal  capitulation,  by  which  I  have  enga 
ged  to  give  up  the  block-house,  and  the  whole  island.  It  is 
the  fortune  of  war,  and  must  be  submitted  to ;  so  open  the 
door,  pretty  Mabel,  forthwith,  and  confide  yourself  to  the 
care  of  those  who  know  how  to  treat  beauty  and  virtue  in 
distress.  There's  no  courtier  in  Scotland  more  complaisant 
than  this  chief,  or  who  is  more  familiar  with  the  laws  of  de 
corum." 


THK    PATHFINDER.  371 

**No  leave  block-house,"  muttered  June,  who  stood  at 
Mabel's  side,  attentive  to  all  that  passed.  "  Block-house  good  ; 
got  no  scalp." 

Our  heroine  might  have  yielded,  but  for  this  appeal ;  for  it 
began  to  appear  to  her,  that  the  wisest  course  would  be  to 
conciliate  the  enemy  by  concessions,  instead  of  exasperating 
them  by  resistance.  They  must  know  that  Muir  and  her 
jncle  were  in  their  power ;  that  there  was  no  man  in  the 
building ;  and  she  fancied  they  might  proceed  to  batter  down 
the  door,  or  to  cut  their  way  through  the  logs  with  axes,  if 
she  obstinately  refused  to  give  them  peaceable  admission, 
since  there  was  no  longer  any  reason  to  dread  the  rifle.  But 
the  words  of  June  induced  her  to  hesitate ;  and  the  earnest 
pressure  of  the  hand,  and  entreating  looks  of  her  companion, 
strengthened  a  resolution  that  was  faltering. 

"  No  prisoner  yet,"  whispered  June — "  let  'em  make  pris 
oner,  before  'ey  take  prisoner — talk  big ;  June  manage  'em." 

Mabel  now  began  to  parley  more  resolutely  with  Muir,  for 
her  uncle  seemed  disposed  to  quiet  his  conscience  by  holding 
his  tongue ;  and  she  plainly  intimated  that  it  was  not  her  in 
tention  to  yield  the  building. 

"  You  forget  the  capitulation,  Mistress  Mabel,"  said  Muir ; 
*'  the  honour  of  one  of  His  Majesty's  servants  is  concerned ; 
and  the  honour  of  His  Majesty,  through  his  servant.  You 
will  remember  the  finesse  and  delicacy  that  belong  to  mili 
tary  honour?" 

"  I  know  enough,  Mr.  Muir,  to  understand  that  you  have 
no  command  in  this  expedition,  and,  therefore,  can  have  no 
right  to  yield  the  block-house ;  and  I  remember,  moreover, 
to  have  heard  my  dear  father  say,  that  a  prisoner  loses  all 
his  authority,  for  the  time  being." 

"  Rank  sophistry,  pretty  Mabel,  and  treason  to  the  king, 
as  well  as  dishonouring  his  commission,  and  discrediting  his 
name.  You  '11  no  be  persevering  in  your  intentions,  when 
your  better  judgment  has  had  leisure  to  reflect,  and  to  make 
conclusions,  on  matters  and  circumstances." 

"  Ay,"  put  in  Cap,  "  this  is  a  circumstance,  and  be  d d 

to  it !" 

"No  mind  what  'e  uncle  say,"  ejaculated  June,  who  was 
occupied  in  a  far  corner  of  the  room.  "  Block-house  good; 
got  no  scalp  ' 


372  THK    PATHFINDER. 

"  I  shall  remain  as  I  am,  Mr.  Muir,  until  1  get  some 
tidings  of  my  father.  He  will  return  in  the  course  oi  the 
next  ten  days." 

"  Ah  !  Mabel,  this  artifice  will  no  deceive  the  enemy,  who, 
by  means  that  would  be  unintelligible,  did  not  our  suspicions 
rest  on  an  unhappy  young  man  with  too  much  plausibility, 
are  familiar  with  all  our  doings  and  plans,  and  well  know 
that  the  sun  will  not  set  before  the  worthy  serjeant  and  his 
companions  will  be  in  their  power.  Aweel !  Submission  to 
Providence  is  truly  a  Christian  virtue !" 

"  Mr.  Muir,  you  appear  to  be  deceived  in  the  strength  of 
this  work,  and  to  fancy  it  weaker  than  it  is.  Do  you  desire 
to  see  what  I  can  do  in  the  way  of  defence,  if  so  disposed?" 

«« I  dinna'  mind  if  I  do,"  answered  the  Quarter-Master, 
who  always  grew  Scotch  as  he  grew  interested. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  that,  then  1 — Look  at  the  loop  of 
the  upper  story." 

As  soon  as  Mabel  had  spoken,  all  eyes  were  turned  upward, 
and  beheld  the  muzzle  of  a  rifle  cautiously  thrust  through  a 
hole — June  having  resorted  again  to  a  ruse  that  had  already 
proved  so  successful.  The  result  did  not  disappoint  expecta 
tion.  No  sooner  did  the  Indians  catch  a  sight  of  the  fatal 
weapon,  than  they  leaped  aside,  and,  in  less  than  a  minute, 
every  man  among  them  had  sought  a  cover.  The  French 
officer  kept  his  eye  on  the  barrel  of  the  piece,  in  order  to  as 
certain  that  it  was  not  pointed  in  his  particular  direction,  and 
he  coolly  took  a  pinch  of  snuff.  As  neither  Muir  nor  Cap 
had  any  thing  to  apprehend  from  the  quarter  in  which  the 
others  were  menaced,  they  kept  their  ground. 

"  Be  wise,  my  pretty  Mabel,  be  wise,"  exclaimed  the 
former,  "  and  no  be  provoking  useless  contention.  In  the 
name  of  all  the  kings  of  Albin,  who  have  ye  closeted  with 
you  in  that  wooden  tower,  that  seemeth  so  bloody-minded  7 
There  is  necromancy  about  this  matter,  and  all  our  charac 
ters  may  be  involved  in  the  explanation." 

"  What  do  ye  think  of  the  Pathfinder,  Master  Muir,  for  a 
garrison  to  so  strong  a  post !"  cried  Mabel,  resorting  to  an 
equivocation  that  the  circumstances  rendered  very  excusable. 
*;  What  will  your  French  and  Indian  companions  think  of  the 
aim  of  the  Pathfinder's  rifle?" 

"  Bear  gently  on  the  unfortunate,  pretty  Mabel,  and  do 
not  confound  the  king's  servants,  may  Heaven  bless  him 


THE   PATHFINDER.  373 

and  all  his  royal  lineage !  with  the  king's  enemies.  If  Path 
finder  be  indeed  in  the  block-house,  let  him  speak,  and  we 
will  hold  our  negotiations  directly  with  him.  He  knows  us 
as  friends,  and  we  fear  no  evil  at  his  hands,  and  least  of  all 
to  myself;  for  a  generous  mind  is  apt  to  render  rivalry  in  a 
certain  interest,  a  sure  ground  of  respect  and  amity ;  since 
admiration  of  the  same  woman  proves  a  community  of  feeling 
and  tastes." 

The  reliance  on  Pathfinder's  friendship  did  not  extend  be 
yond  the  Quarter-Master  and  Cap,  however,  for  even  the 
French  officer,  who  had  hitherto  stood  his  ground  so  well, 
shrunk  back  at  the  sound  of  the  terrible  name.  So  unwilling 
indeed  did  this  individual,  a  man  of  iron  nerves,  and*  one 
long  accustomed  to  the  dangers  of  the  peculiar  warfare  in 
which  he  was  engaged,  appear  to  be  to  remain  exposed  to 
the  assaults  of  Killdeer,  whose  reputation  throughout  all  that 
frontier  was  as  well  established  as  that  of  Marlborough  in 
Europe,  that  he  did  not  disdain  to  seek  a  cover,  insisting  that 
his  two  prisoners  should  follow  him.  Mabel  was  too  glad  to 
be  rid  of  her  enemies  to  lament  the  departure  of  her  friends, 
though  she  kissed  her  hand  to  Cap,  through  the  loop,  and 
called  out  to  him  in  terms  of  affection  as  he  moved  slowly 
and  unwillingly  away. 

The  enemy  now  seemed  disposed  to  abandon  all  attempts 
on  the  block-house,  for  the  present ;  and  June,  who  had  as 
cended  to  a  trap  in  the  roof,  whence  the  best  view  was  to  be 
obtained,  reported  that  the  whole  party  had  assembled  to  eat, 
on  a  distant  and  sheltered  part  of  the  island,  where  Muir  and 
Cap  were  quietly  sharing  in  the  good  things  that  were  going, 
as  if  they  had  no  concern  on  their  minds.  This  information 
greatly  relieved  Mabel,  and  she  began  to  turn  her  thoughts 
again  to  the  means  of  effecting  her  own  escape,  or  at  least 
of  letting  her  father  know  of  the  danger  that  awaited  him. 
The  serjeant  was  expected  to  return  that  afternoon,  and  she 
knew  that  a  moment  gained  or  lost  might  decide  his  fate. 

Three  or  four  hours  flew  by.  The  island  was  again  buried 
in  a  profound  quiet,  the  day  was  wearing  away,  and  yet 
Mabel  had  decided  on  nothing.  June  was  in  the  basement 
preparing  their  frugal  meal,  and  Mabel  herself  had  ascended 
to  the  roof,  which  was  provided  with  a  trap  that  allowed  her 
to  go  out  on  the  top  of  the  building,  whence  she  commanded 
32 


374  THE    PATHFINDER. 

the  best  view  of  surrounding  objects  that  the  island  possessed 
Still  it  was  limited,  and  much  obstructed  by  the  tops  of  trees. 
The  anxious  girl  did  not  dare  to  trust  her  person  in  sight,  know 
ing  well  that  the  unrestrained  passions  of  some  savage  might 
induce  him  to  send  a  bullet  through  her  brain.  She  merely 
kept  her  head  out  of  the  trap,  therefore,  whence  in  the  course 
of  the  afternoon,  she  made  as  many  surveys  of  the  different 
channels  about  the  island,  as  "  Anne,  sister  Anne"  took  of 
the  environs  of  the  castle  of  Blue  Beard. 

The  sun  had  actually  set,  no  intelligence  had  been  received 
from  the  boats,  and  Mabel  ascended  to  the  roof,  to  take  a 
last  look,  hoping  that  the  party  would  arrive  in  the  darkness ; 
which  would  at  least  prevent  the  Indians  from  rendering  their 
ambuscade  as  fatal  as  it  might  otherwise  prove,  and  which 
possibly  might  enable  her  to  give  some  more  intelligible  sig 
nal,  by  means  of  fire,  than  it  would  otherwise  be  in  her  power 
to  do.  Her  eye  had  turned  carefully  round  the  whole  hori 
zon,  and  she  was  just  on  the  point  of  drawing  in  her  person, 
when  an  object  that  struck  her  as  new,  caught  her  attention. 
The  islands  lay  grouped  so  closely,  that  six  or  eight  different 
channels  or  passages  between  them  were  in  view  ;  and  in  one 
of  the  most  covered,  concealed  in  a  great  measure  by  the 
bushes  of  the  shore,  lay,  what  a  second  look  assured  her, 
was  a  bark  canoe.  It  contained  a  human  being  beyond  a 
question.  Confident  that,  if  an  enemy,  her  signal  could  do 
no  harm,  and,  if  a  friend,  that  it  might  do  good,  the  eager 
girl  waved  a  little  flag  towards  the  stranger,  which  she  had 
prepared  for  her  father,  taking  care  that  it  should  not  be  seen 
from  the  island. 

Mabel  had  repeated  her  signal  eight  or  ten  times  in  vain, 
and  she  began  to  despair  of  its  being  noticed,  when  a  sign 
was  given  in  return,  by  the  wave  of  a  paddle,  and  the  man 
so  far  discovered  himself,  as  to  let  her  see  it  was  Chingach- 
gook.  Here,  then,  at  last,  was  a  friend ;  one,  too,  who  was 
able,  and  she  doubted  not  would  be  willing  to  aid  her !  From 
that  instant  her  courage  and  her  spirits  revived.  The  Mohican 
had  seen  her ;  must  have  recognised  her,  as  he  knew  that 
she  was  of  the  party ;  and  no  doubt,  as  soon  as  it  was  suffi 
ciently  dark,  he  would  take  the  steps  necessary  to  release 
her.  That  he  was  aware  of  the  presence  of  the  enemy  was 
apparent  by  the  great  caution  he  observed,  and  she  had  every 


THE  PATHFINDER.  875 

reliance  on  his  prudence  and  address.  The  principal  diffi 
culty  now  existed  rvith  June,  for  Mabel  had  seen  too  much 
of  her  fidelity  to  her  own  people,  relieved  as  it  was  by  sym 
pathy  for  herself,  to  believe  she  would  consent  to  a  hostile 
Indian's  entering  the  block-house,  or  indeed  to  her  leaving  it, 
with  a  view  *to  defeat  Arrowhead's  plans.  The  half  hour 
that  succeeded  the  discovery  of  the  presence  of  the  Great 
Serpent,  was  the  most  painful  of  Mabel  Dunham's  life.  She 
saw  the  means  of  effecting  all  she  wished,  as  it  might  be 
within  reach  of  her  hand,  and  yet  it  eluded  her  grasp.  She 
knew  June's  decision  and  coolness,  notwithstanding  all  her 
gentleness  and  womanly  feeling,  and  at  last  she  came  reluc 
tantly  to  the  conclusion  that  there  was  no  other  way  of 
attaining  her  end,  than  by  deceiving  her  tried  companion  and 
protector.  It  was  revolting  to  one  as  sincere  and  natural, 
as  pure  of  heart  and  as  much  disposed  to  ingenuousness  as 
Mabel  Dunham,  to  practise  deception  on  a  friend  like  June ;  but 
her  own  father's  life  was  at  stake,  her  companion  would  receive 
no  positive  injury,  and  she  had  feelings  and  interests  directly 
touching  herself,  that  would  have  removed  greater  scruples. 

As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  Mabel's  heart  began  to  beat 
with  violence;  and  she  adopted  and  changed  her  plan  of 
proceedings,  at  least  a  dozen  times  in  the  course  of  a 
single  hour.  June  was  always  the  source  of  her  greatest 
embarrassment ;  for  she  did  not  well  see,  firstly,  how  she 
was  to  ascertain  when  Chingachgook  was  at  the  door,  where 
she  doubted  not  he  would  soon  appear ;  and,  secondly,  how 
she  was  to  admit  him,  without  giving  the  alarm  to  her  watch 
ful  companion.  Time  pressed,  however;  for  the  Mohican 
might  come  and  go  away  again,  unless  she  was  ready  to  re 
ceive  him.  It  would  be  too  hazardous  to  the  Delaware  to 
remain  long  on  the  island ;  and  it  became  absolutely  neces 
sary  to  determine  on  some  course,  even  at  the  risk  of  choosing 
one  that  was  indiscreet.  After  running  over  various  pro 
jects  in  her  mind,  therefore,  Mabel  came  to  her  companion, 
and  said,  with  as  much  calmness  as  she  could  assume 

"  Are  you  not  afraid,  June,  now  your  people  believe  Path 
finder  is  in  the  block-house,  that  they  will  come,  and  try  to 
set  it  on  fire?" 

"  No  t'ink  such  t'ing.  No  burn  block-house.  Block-house 
good :  got  no  scalp." 


376  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  June,  we  cannot  know.  They  hid,  becaase  they  believed 
what  I  told  them  of  Pathfinder's  being  with  us." 

"  Believe  fear.  Fear  come  quick,  go  quick.  Fear  make 
run  away ;  wit  make  come  back.  Fear  make  warrior  fool, 
as  well  as  young  girl." 

Here  June  laughed,  as  her  sex  is  apt  to  laugh,  when  any 
thing  particularly  ludicrous  crosses  their  youthful  fancies. 

"  I  feel  uneasy,  June ;  and  wish  you  yourself  would  go 
up  again  to  the  roof,  and  look  out  upon  the  island,  to  make 
certain  that  nothing  is  plotting  against  us ;  you  know  the 
signs  of  what  your  people  intend  to  do  better  than  I." 

"  June  go,  Lily  wish ;  but  very  well  know  that  Indian 
sleep  :  wait  for  'e  fader.  Warrior  eat,  drink,  sleep,  all  time, 
when  don't  fight,  and  go  on  war-trail.  Den  never  sleep,  eat, 
drink — never  feel.  Warrior  sleep,  now." 

"  God  send  it  may  be  so :  but  go  up,  dear  June,  and  look 
well  about  you.  Danger  may  come  when  we  least  expect 
it." 

June  arose,  and  prepared  to  ascend  to  the  roof;  but  she 
paused,  with  her  foot  on  the  first  round  of  the  ladder.  Ma 
bel's  heart  beat  so  violently,  that  she  was  fearful  its  throbs 
would  be  heard  ;  and  she  fancied  that  some  gleamings  of  her 
real  intentions  had  crossed  the  mind  of  her  friend.  She  was 
right,  in  part ;  the  Indian  woman  having  actually  stopped  to 
consider  whether  there  was  any  indiscretion  in  what  she  was 
about  to  do.  At  first,  the  suspicion  that  Mabel  intended  to  escape 
flashed  across  her  mind ;  then  she  rejected  it,  on  the  ground 
that  the  pale-face  had  no  means  of  getting  off  the  island,  and 
that  the  block-house  was  much  the  most  secure  place  she 
could  find.  The  next  thought  was,  that  Mabel  had  detected 
some  sign  of  the  near  approach  of  her  father.  This  idea, 
too,  lasted  but  an  instant ;  for  June  entertained  some  such 
opinion  of  her  companion's  ability  to  understand  symptoms 
of  this  sort — symptoms  that  had  escaped  her  own  sagacity— 
as  a  woman  of  high  fashion  entertains  of  the  accomplish 
ments  of  her  maid.  Nothing  else  in  the  same  way  offering, 
she  began  slowly  to  mount  the  ladder. 

Just  as  she  reached  the  upper  floor,  a  lucky  thought  sug 
gested  itself  to  our  heroine ;  and,  by  expressing  it  in  a  hurried, 
but  natural  manner,  she  gained  a  great  advantage  in  execut 
ing  her  projected  scheme. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  377 

"  I  will  go  down,"  she  said,  "  and  listen  by  the  door,  June ; 
while  you  are  on  the  roof;  and  we  will  thus  be  on  our  guard, 
at  the  same  time,  above  and  below." 

Though  June  thought  this  savoured  of  unnecessary  cau 
tion,  well  knowing  no  one  could  enter  the  building,  unless 
aided  from  within,  nor  any  serious  danger  menace  them  from 
the  exterior,  without  giving  sufficient  warning,  she  attributed 
the  proposition  to  Mabel's  ignorance  and  alarm ;  and,  as  it 
was  made  apparently  with  frankness,  it  was  received  without 
distrust.  By  these  means,  our  heroine  was  enabled  to  de 
scend  to  the  door,  as  her  friend  ascended  to  the  roof;  and 
June  felt  no  unusual  inducement  to  watch  her.  The  dis 
tance  between  the  two  was  now  too  great  to  admit  of  conver 
sation  ;  and,  for  three  or  four  minutes,  one  was  occupied  in 
looking  about  her,  as  well  as  the  Darkness  would  allow,  and 
the  other,  in  listening  at  the  door,'  with  as  much  intentness, 
as  if  all  her  senses  were  absorbed  in  the  single  faculty  of 
hearing. 

June  discovered  nothing  from  her  elevated  stand ;  the 
obscurity,  indeed,  almost  forbade  the  hope  of  such  a  result , 
but  it  would  not  be  easy  to  describe  the  sensation  with  which 
Mabel  thought  she  perceived  a  slight  and  guarded  push 
against  the  door.  Fearful  that  all  might  not  be  as  she  wish 
ed,  and  anxious  to  let  Chingachgook  know  that  she  was  near, 
she  began,  though  in  tremulous  and  low  notes,  to  sing.  So 
profound  was  the  stillness  at  the  moment,  that  the  sound  of 
the  unsteady  warbling  ascended  to  the  roof,  and  in  a  minute 
June  began  to  descend.  A  slight  tap  at  the  door  was  heard 
immediately  after.  Mabel  was  bewildered,  for  there  was  no 
time  to  lose.  Hope  proved  stronger  than  fear,  and  with  un 
steady  hands,  she  commenced  unbarring  the  door.  The  moc 
casin  of  June  was  heard  on  the  floor  above  her,  when  only 
a  single  bar  was  turned.  The  second  was  released  as  her 
form  reached  half-way  down  the  lower  ladder. 

"  What  you  do  !"  exclaimed  June,  angrily. — "  Run  away — 
mad — leave  block-house  ?  Block-house  good." — The  hands 
of  both  were  on  the  last  bar,  and  it  would  have  been  cleared 
from  the  fastenings,  but  for  a  vigorous  shove  from  without, 
which  jammed  the  wood.  A  short  struggle  ensued,  though  both 
were  disinclined  to  violence.  June  would  probably  have 
prevailed,  had  not  another  and  a  mors  vigorous  push  from 
32* 


378  THE  PATHFINDER. 

without  forced  the  bar  past  the  trifling  impediment  that  held 
it,  when  the  door  opened.  The  form  of  a  man  was  seen  to 
enter,  and  both  the  females  rushed  up  the  ladder,  as  if  equally 
afraid  of  the  consequences.  The  stranger  secured  the  door, 
and,  first  examining  the  lower  room  with  great  care,  he  cau 
tiously  ascended  the  ladder.  June,  as  soon  as  it  became 
dark,  had  closed  the  loops  of  the  principal  floor,  and  lighted 
a  candle.  By  means  of  this  dim  taper,  then,  the  two  females 
stood  in  expectation,  waiting  to  ascertain  the  person  of  theii 
visiter,  whose  wary  ascent  of  the  ladder  was  distinctly  audi 
ble,  though  sufficiently  deliberate.  It  would  not  be  easy  to 
say  which  was  the  most  astonished  on  finding,  when  the 
stranger  had  got  through  the  trap,  that  Pathfinder  stood 
before  them? 

"  God  be  praised !"  Mabel  exclaimed,  for  the  idea  that  the 
block-house  would  be  impregnable  with  such  a  garrison,  at 
once  crossed  her  mind.  "  Oh  !  Pathfinder,  what  has  become 
of  my  father?" 

"  The  sarjeant  is  safe,  as  yet,  and  victorious,  though  it  is 
not  in  the  gift  of  man  to  say  what  will  be  the  ind  of  it.  Is 
not  that  the  wife  of  Arrowhead,  skulking  in  the  corner, 
there?" 

"Speak  not  of  her  reproachfully,  Pathfinder;  I  owe  her 
my  life — my  present  security ; — tell  me  what  has  happened  to 
my  father's  party,  why  you  are  here,  and  I  will  relate  all  the 
horrible  events  that  have  passed  upon  this  island." 

"  Few  words  will  do  the  last,  Mabel ;  for  one  used  to  Indian 
deviltries  needs  but  little  explanations  on  such  a  subject 
Every  thing  turned  out  as  we  had  hoped  with  the  expedition, 
for  the  Sarpent  was  on  the  look-out,  and  he  met  us  with  all 
'.he  information  hear!  could  desire.  We  ambushed  three 
boats,  druv'  the  Frenchers  out  of  them,  got  possession  and 
sunk  them,  according  to  orders,  in  the  deepest  part  of  the 
channel ;  and  the  savages  of  Upper  Canada  will  fare  badly 
for  Indian  goods  this  winter.  Both  powder  and  ball,  too, 
will  be  scarcer  among  them,  than  keen  hunters  and  actyve 
warriors  may  relish.  We  did  not  lose  a  man,  or  have  even 
a  skin  barked ;  nor  do  I  think  the  inemy  suffered  to  speak  of. 
[n  short,  Mabel,  it  has  been  just  such  an  expedition  as  Lun- 
die  likes;  much  harm  to  the  foe,  and  little  harm  to  our 
selves." 


THE   PATHFINDER.  379 

"  Ah !  Pathfinder,  I  fear  when  Major  Duncan  comes  to 
hear  the  whole  of  the  sad  tale,  he  will  find  reason  to  regret 
he  ever  undertook  the  affair !" 

"  I  know  what  you  mean — I  know  what  you  mean  ;  but, 
by  telling  my  story  straight,  you  will  understand  it  better. 
As  soon  as  the  sarjeant  found  himself  successful,  he  sent  me 
and  the  Sarpent  off  in  canoes,  to  tell  you  how  matters  had 
turned  out,  and  he  is  following  with  the  two  boats ;  which 
being  so  much  heavier,  cannot  arrive  before  morning.  I 
parted  from  Chingachgook  this  forenoon,  it  being  agreed 
that  he  should  come  up  one  set  of  channels,  and  I  another, 
to  see  that  the  path  was  clear.  I  've  not  seen  the  chief 
since." 

Mabel  now  explained  the  manner  in  which  she  had  disco 
vered  the  Mohican,  and  her  expectation  that  he  would  yet 
come  to  the  block-house. 

"  Not  he — not  he  ! — A  regular  scout  will  never  get  behind 
walls,  or  logs,  so  long  as  he  can  keep  the  open  air  and  find 
useful  employment.  I  should  not  have  come  myself,  Mabel, 
but  I  promised  the  sarjeant  to  comfort  you,  and  to  look  after 
your  safety.  Ah's  me !  I  reconnoitred  the  island  with  a 
heavy  heart  this  forenoon ;  and  there  was  a  bitter  hour  when 
I  fancied  you  might  be  among  the  slain." 

"  By  what  lucky  accident  were  you  prevented  from  paddling 
up  boldly  to  the  island,  and  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy  ?" 

"  By  such  an  accident,  Mabel,  as  Providence  employs  to 
tell  the  hound  where  to  find  the  deer,  and  the  deer  how  to 
throw  off  the  hound.  No — no — these  artifices  and  deviltries 
with  dead  bodies,  may  deceive  the  soldiers  of  the  55th,  and 
the  king's  officers ;  but  they  are  all  lost  upon  men  who  have 
passed  their  days  in  the  forest.  I  came  down  the  channel  in 
face  of  the  pretended  fisherman,  and,  though  the  nptyles 
have  set  up  the  poor  wretch  with  art,  it  was  not  ingenious 
enough  to  take  in  a  practysed  eye.  The  rod  was  held  too  high, 
for  the  55th  have  learned  to  fish  at  Oswego,  if  they  never  knew 
how  before ;  and  then  the  man  was  too  quiet  for  one  who  got 
neither  prey  nor  bite.  But  we  never  come  in  upon  a  post 
blindly ;  and  I  have  lain  outside  a  garrison  a  whole  night, 
because  they  had  changed  their  sentries  and  their  mode  of 
standing  guard.  Neither  the  Sarpent  nor  myself  would  be 


380  THE   PATHFINDER. 

likely  to  be  taken  in  by  these  clumsy  contrivances,  which 
were  most  probably  intended  for  the  Scotch,  who  are  cunning 
enough  in  some  particulars,  though  any  thing  but  witches 
when  Indian  sarcumventions  are  in  the  wind." 

"  Do  you  think  my  father  and  his  men  may  yet  be  de 
ceived?''  said  Mabel,  quickly. 

"  Not  if  I  can  prevent  it,  Mabel.  You  say  the  Sarpent  is 
on  the  look-out,  too  ;  so  there  is  a  double  chance  of  our  suc 
ceeding  in  letting  him  know  his  danger ;  though  it  is  by  no 
means  sartain  by  which  channel  the  party  may  come." 

"  Pathfinder,"  said  our  heroine  solemnly,  for  the  frightful 
scenes  she  had  witnessed  had  clothed  death  with  unusual 
horrors — "  Pathfinder,  you  have  professed  love  for  me — a 
wish  to  make  me  your  wife  ?" 

"  I  did  ventur'  to  speak  on  that  subject,  Mabel,  and  the 
sarjeant  has  even  lately  said  that  you  are  kindly  disposed ; 
but  I  am  not  a  man  to  persecute  the  thing  I  love." 

"  Hear  me,  Pathfinder — I  respect  you — honour  you — re 
vere  you — save  my  father  from  this  dreadful  death,  and  I 
can  worship  you.  Here  is  my  hand,  as  a  solemn  pledge  for 
my  faith,  when  you  come  to  claim  it." 

"  Bless  you — bless  you,  Mabel ;  this  is  more  than  I  desarve 
— more,  I  fear,  than  I  shall  know  how  to  profit  by,  as  I 
ought.  It  was  not  wanting,  however,  to  make  me  sarve  the 
sarjeant.  We  are  old  comrades,  and  owe  each  other  a  life 
— though  I  fear  me,  Mabel,  being  a  father's  comrade  is  not 
always  the  best  recommendation  with  the  daughter !" 

"  You  want  no  other  recommendation  than  your  own  acts 
— your  courage — your  fidelity — all  that  you  do  and  say, 
Pathfinder,  my  reason  approves,  and  the  heart  will,  nay,  it 
shall  follow." 

"  This  is  a  happiness  I  little  expected  this  night ;  but  we 
are  in  God's  hands,  and  he  will  protect  us  in  his  own  way. 
These  are  sweet  words,  Mabel,  but  they  were  not  wanting  to 
make  me  do  all  that  man  can  do,  in  the  present  circum 
stances  ;  they  will  not  lessen  my  endeavours,  neither." 

"  Now  we  understand  each  other,  Pathfinder — "  Mabel 
added,  hoarsely,  "  let  us  not  lose  one  of  the  precious  mo 
ments,  which  may  be  of  incalculable  value.  Can  we  not  get 
into  your  canoe,  and  go  and  meet  my  father  ?" 

"  That  is  not  the  course  I  advise.     I  don't  know  by  which 


THE   PATHFINDER.  381 

channel  the  sarjeant  will  come,  and  there  are  twenty ;  rely 
on  it,  the  Sarpent  will  be  winding  his  way  through  them  all 
No — no — my  advice  is  to  remain  here.  The  logs  of  this 
block-house  are  still  green,  and  it  will  not  be  easy  to  set  them 
on  fire ;  and  I  can  make  good  the  place,  bating  a  burning, 
ag'in  a  tribe.  The  Iroquois  nation  cannot  dislodge  me  from 
this  fortress,  so  long  as  we  can  keep  the  flames  off  it. 
The  sarjeant  is  now  'camped  on  some  island,  and  will  not 
come  in  until  morning.  If  we  hold  the  block,  we  can  give 
him  timely  warning,  by  firing  rifles  for  instance ;  and  should 
he  determine  to  attack  the  savages,  as  a  man  of  his  temper 
will  be  very  likely  to  do,  the  possession  of  this  building  will 
be  of  great  account  in  the  affair.  No — no — my  judgment 
says  remain,  if  the  object  be  to  sarve  the  sarjeant ;  though 
escape  for  our  two  selves  will  be  no  very  difficult  matter." 

"  Stay,"  murmured  Mabel — "  stay,  for  God's  sake,  Path 
finder.  Any  thing — every  thing,  to  save  my  father !" 

"  Yes,  that  is  natur'.  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  this, 
Mabel,  for  I  own  a  wish  to  see  the  sarjeant  fairly  supported. 
As  the  matter  now  stands,  he  has  gained  himself  credit ;  and 
could  he  once  drive  off  these  miscreants,  and  make  an  honour 
able  retreat,  laying  the  huts  and  block  in  ashes,  no  doubt, 
no  doubt,  Lundie  would  remember  it  and  sarve  him  accord 
ingly.  Yes,  yes,  Mabel,  we  must  not  only  save  the  sarjeant's 
life,  but  we  must  save  his  reputation." 

"  No  blame  can  rest  on  my  father,  on  account  of  the  sur 
prise  of  this  island !" 

"  There's  no  telling — there's  no  telling ;  military  glory  is 
a  most  unsartain  thing.  I  've  seen  the  Delawares  routed,  when 
they  desarved  more  credit,  than,  at  other  times,  when  they've 
carried  the  day.  A  man  is  wrong  to  set  his  head  on  success 
of  any  sort,  and  worst  of  all,  on  success  in  war.  I  know 
little  of  the  settlements,  or  of  the  notions  that  men  hold  in 
them ;  but,  up  hereaway,  even  the  Indians  rate  a  warrior's 
character  according  to  his  luck.  The  principal  thing  with 
a  soldier,  is  never  to  be  whipt ;  nor  do  I  think  mankind  stops 
long  to  consider  how  the  day  was  won,  or  lost.  For  my 
part,  Mabel,  I  make  it  a  rule  when  facing  the  inimy,  to  give 
him  as  good  as  I  can  send,  and  to  try  to  be  moderate  as  I 
can,  when  we  get  the  better ;  as  for  feeling  moderate,  after  a 
defeat,  little  need  be  said  on  that  score,  as  a  flogging  is  one 


382  THE    PATHFINDER. 

of  the  most  humbling  things  in  natur'.  The  parsons  preach 
about  humility,  in  the  garrisons  ;  but  if  humility  would  make 
Christians,  the  king's  troops  ought  to  be  saints,  for  they've 
done  little,  as  yet,  this  war,  but  take  lessons  from  the  French, 
beginning  at  Fort  du  Quesne,  and  ending  at  Ty !" 

"  My  father  could  not  have  suspected  that  the  position  of 
the  island  was  known  to  the  enemy,"  resumed  Mabel,  whose 
thoughts  were  running  on  the  probable  effect  of  the  recent 
events,  on  the  serjeant. 

"  That  is  true ;  nor  do  I  well  see  how  the  Frenchers  found 
it  out.  The  spot  is  well  chosen,  and  it  is  not  an  easy  matter, 
even  for  one  who  has  travelled  the  road  to  and  from  it,  to 
find  it  again.  There  has  been  treachery,  I  fear ;  yes,  yes, 
there  must  have  been  treachery !" 

"  Oh !  Pathfinder,  can  this  be !" 

"  Nothing  is  easier,  Mabel,  for  treachery  comes  as  nat'ral 
to  some  men,  as  eating.  Now,  when  I  find  a  man,  all  fair 
words,  I  look  close  to  his  deeds ;  for  when  the  heart  is  right, 
and  really  intends  to  do  good,  it  is  generally  satisfied  to  let 
the  conduct  speak,  instead  of  the  tongue." 

"  Jasper  Western  is  not  one  of  these,"  said  Mabel,  impe 
tuously.  "  No  youth  can  be  more  sincere  in  his  manner,  or 
less  apt  to  make  the  tongue  act  for  the  head." 

"  Jasper  Western  ! — tongue  and  heart  are  both  right  with 
that  lad,  depend  on  it,  Mabel ;  and  the  notion  taken  up  by 
Lundie,  and  the  Quarter-Master,  and  the  sarjeant,  and  your 
uncle,  too,  is  as  wrong,  as  it  would  be  to  think  that  the  sun 
shone  by  night,  and  the  stars  shone  by  day.  No — no— I  '11 
answer  for  Eau-douce's  honesty  with  my  own  scalp,  or,  at 
need,  with  my  own  rifle." 

"Bless  you — bless  you,  Pathfinder!"  exclaimed  Mabel, 
extending  her  own  hand,  and  pressing  the  iron  fingers  of  her 
companion,  under  a  state  of  feeling  that  far  surpassed  her 
own  consciousness  of  its  strength.  "  You  are  all  that  is 
generous — all  that  is  noble ;  God  will  reward  you  for  it." 

"  Ah  !  Mabel,  I  fear  me,  if  this  be  true,  I  should  not  covet 
sucH  a  wife  as  yourself,  but  would  leave  you  to  be  sued  for, 
by  some  gentleman  of  the  garrison,  as  your  desarts  require !" 

"  We  will  not  talk  of  this  any  more  to  night,"  Mabel  an- 
Bwered  in  a  voice  so  smothered,  as  to  seem  nearly  choked. 
*  We  must  think  less  of  ourselves,  just  now,  Pathfinder,  and 


THE    PATHFINDER.  383 

more  of  our  friends.  But  I  rejoice  from  my  soul,  that  you 
believe  Jasper  innocent.  Now  let  us  talk  of  other  things — 
ought  we  not  to  release  June  ?" 

"  I  've  been  thinking  about  the  woman,  for  it  will  not  be 
safe  to  shut  our  eyes  and  leave  hers  open,  on  this  side  of  the 
block-house  door.  If  we  put  her  in  the  upper  room  and 
take  away  the  ladder,  she  '11  be  a  prisoner  at  least." 

"  I  cannot  treat  one  thus  who  has  saved  my  life.  It  would 
be  better  to  let  her  depart,  for  I  think  she  is  too  much  my 
friend  to  do  any  thing  to  harm  me." 

"  You  do  not  know"  the  race,  Mabel ;  you  do  not  know  the 
race.  It  ?s  true  she  is  not  a  full-blooded  Mingo,  but  she  con 
sorts  with  the  vagabonds,  and  must  have  lamed  some  of  their 
tricks.  What  is  that  ?" 

"  It  sounds  like  oars — some  boat  is  passing  through  the 
channel !" 

Pathfinder  closed  the  trap  that  led  to  the  lower  room,  to 
prevent  June  from  escaping,  extinguished  the  candle,  and 
went  hastily  to  a  loop ;  Mabel  looking  over  his  shoulder  in 
breathless  curiosity.  These  several  movements  consumed  a 
minute  or  two ;  and  by  the  time  the  eye  of  the  scout  had  got 
a  dim  view  of  things  without,  two  boats  had  swept  past,  and 
shot  up  to  the  shore,  at  a  spot  some  fifty  yards  beyond  the 
block,  where  there  was  a  regular  landing.  The  obscurity 
prevented  more  from  being  seen ;  and  Pathfinder  whispered 
to  Mabel,  that  the  new  comers  were  as  likely  to  be  foes  as 
friends,  for  he  did  not  think  her  father  could  possibly  have 
arrived  so  soon.  A  number  of  men  were  now  seen  to  quit 
the  boats,  and  then  followed  three  hearty  English  cheers, 
leaving  no  further  doubts  of  the  character  of  the  party. 
Pathfinder  sprang  to  the  trap,  raised  it,  glided  down  the  lad 
der,  and  began  to  unbar  the  door,  with  an  earnestness  that 
proved  how  critical  he  deemed  the  moment.  Mabel  had  fol 
lowed,  but  she  rather  impeded  than  aided  his  exertions,  and 
but  a  single  bar  was  turned  when  a  heavy  discharge  of  rifles 
was  heard.  They  were  still  standing  in  breathless  suspense, 
as  the  war-whoop  rang  in  all  the  surrounding  thickets. 
The  door  now  opened,  and  both  Pathfinder  and  Mabel  rushed 
inte  the  open  air.  All  human  sounds  had  ceased.  After 
listening  half  a  minute,  however,  Pathfinder  thought  he  heard 
a  few  stifled  groans  near  the  boats ;  but  the  wind  blew  so 


384  THE    PATHFINDER. 

fresh,  and  the  rustling  of  the  leaves  mingled  so  much  with 
the  murmurs  of  the  passing  air,  that  he  was  far  from  certain. 
But  Mabel  was  borne  away  by  her  feelings,  and  she  rushed 
by  him,  taking  the  way  towards  the  boats. 

"  This  will  not  do,  Mabel — "  said  the  scout,  in  an  earnest 
but  low  voice,  seizing  her  by  an  arm, — "  this  will  never  do. 
Sartain  death  would  follow,  and  that  without  sarving  any 
one.  We  must  return  to  the  block." 

"  Father ! — my  poor,  dear,  murdered  father  !"  said  the 
girl  wildly,  though  habitual  caution,  even  at  that  trying  mo 
ment,  induced  her  to  speak  low.  "  Pathfinder,  if  you  love 
me,  let  me  go  to  my  dear  father !" 

"This  will  not  do,  Mabel. — It  is  singular  that  no  one 
speaks ;  no  one  returns  the  fire  from  the  boats — and  I  have 
left  Killdeer  in  the  block ! — But  of  what  use  would  a  rifle  be 
when  no  one  is  to  be  seen  !" 

At  that  moment,  the  quick  eye  of  Pathfinder,  which,  while 
he  held  Mabel  firmly  in  his  grasp,  had  never  ceased  to  roam 
over  the  dim  scene,  caught  an  indistinct  view  of  five  or  six 
dark,  crouching  forms,  endeavouring  to  steal  past  him,  doubt 
less  with  the  intention  of  intercepting  their  retreat  to  the 
block-house.  Catching  up  Mabel  and  putting  her  under  an 
arm,  as  if  she  were  an  infant,  the  sinewy  frame  of  the 
woodsman  was  exerted  to  the  utmost,  and  he  succeeded  in 
entering  the  building.  The  tramp  of  his  pursuers  seemed 
immediately  at  his  heels.  Dropping  his  burthen,  he  turned, 
closed  the  door,  and  had  fastened  one  bar,  as  a  rush  against 
the  solid  mass  threatened  to  force  it  from  the  hinges.  To 
secure  the  other  bars  was  the  work  of  an  instant. 

Mabel  now  ascended  to  the  first  floor,  while  Pathfinder 
remained  as  a  sentinel  below.  Our  heroine  was  in  that  state 
in  which  the  body  exerts  itself,  apparently  without  the  control 
of  the  mind.  She  re-lighted  the  candle  mechanically,  as  her 
companion  had  desired,  and  returned  with  it  below,  where  he 
was  waiting  her  re-appearance.  No  sooner  was  Pathfinder 
in  possession  of  the  light  than  he  examined  the  place  care 
fully,  to  make  certain  no  one  was  concealed  in  the  fortress, 
ascending  to  each  floorlfci  succession,  after  assuring  himself 
that  he  left  no  enemy  in  his  rear.  The  result  was  the  con 
viction  that  the  block-house  now  contained  no  one  but  Mabel 
and  himself,  June  having  escaped.  When  perfectly  con- 


THE  PATHFINDER.  385 

vmced  on  this  material  point,  Pathfinder  rejoined  our  heroine 
in  the  principal  apartment,  setting  down  the  light  and  exa 
mining  the  priming  of  Killdeer  before  he  seated  himself. 

"  Our  worst  fears  are  realized  !"  said  Mabel,  to  whom  the 
hurry  and  excitement  of  the  last  five  minutes  appeared  to 
contain  the  emotions  of  a  life.  "  My  beloved  father,  and  all 
his  party,  are  slain  or  captured  !" 

"  We  don't  know  that — morning  will  tell  us  all.  I  do  not 
think  the  affair  as  settled  as  that,  or  we  should  hear  the 
vagabond  Mingos  yelling  out  their  triumph  around  the  block 
house.  Of  one  thing,  we  may  be  sartain ;  if  the  inimy  has 
really  got  the  better,  he  will  not  be  long  in  calling  upon  us 
to  surrender.  The  squaw  will  let  him  into  the  secret  of  our 
situation,  and,  as  they  well  know  the  place  cannot  be  fired 
by  day-light,  so  long  as  Killdeer  continues  to  desarve  his 
reputation,  you  may  depend  on  it,  that  they  will  not  be  back 
ward  in  making  their  attempt,  while  darkness  helps  them." 

"  Surely,  I  hear  a  groan  !" 

"  'T  is  fancy,  Mabel, — when  the  mind  gets  to  be  skeary, 
especially  a  woman's  mind,  she  often  concaits  things  that 
have  no  reality.  I  've  known  them  that  imagined  there  was 
truth  in  dreams — " 

"  Nay,  I  am  not  deceived — there  is  surely  one  below,  and 
in  pain !" 

Pathfinder  was  compelled  to  own  that  the  quick  senses  of 
Mabel  had  not  deceived  her.  He  cautioned  her,  however,  to 
repress  her  feelings ;  and  reminded  her  that  the  savages 
were  in  the  practice  of  resorting  to  every  artifice,  to  attain 
their  ends,  and  that  nothing  was  more  likely  than  that  the 
groans  were  feigned  with  a  view  to  lure  them  from  the  block 
house,  or,  at  least,  to  induce  them  to  open  the  door. 

"  No — no — no  " — said  Mabel,  hurriedly, — "  there  is  no 
artifice  in  those  sounds,  and  they  come  from  anguish  of  body, 
if  not  of  spirit.  They  are  fearfully  natural." 

"  Well,  we  shall  soon  know  whether  a  friend  is  there,  or 
not.  Hide  the  light  again,  Mabel,  and  I  will  speak  the  per 
son  from  a  loop." 

Not  a  little  precaution  was  necessary,  according  to  Path 
finder's  judgment  and  experience,  in  performing  even  this 
simple  act,  for  he  had  known  the  careless  slain  by  their  want 
of  proper  attention  to,  what  might  have  seemed  to  the  igno- 
33 


386  THE  PATHFINDER. 

rant,  supererogatory  means  of  safety.  He  did  not  place  his 
mouth  to  the  loop  itself,  but  so  near  it  that  he  could  be  heard 
without  raising  his  voice,  and  the  same  precaution  was  ob 
served  as  regards  his  ear. 

"  Who  is  below  ?"  Pathfinder  demanded,  when  his  ar 
rangements  were  made  to  his  mind.  "  Is  any  one  in  suffer 
ing  ?  If  a  friend,  speak  boldly,  and  depend  on  our  aid." 

"  Pathfinder  !"  answered  a  voice  that  both  Mabel  and  the 
person  addressed  at  once  knew  to  be  the  Serjeant's — "  Path 
finder,  in  the  name  of  God,  tell  me  what  has  become  of  my 
daughter  ?" 

"Father,  I  am  here ! — unhurt — safe — and  oh  !  that  I  could 
think  the  same  of  you  !" 

The  ejaculation  of  thanksgiving  that  followed  was  dis 
tinctly  audible  to  the  two,  but  it  was  clearly  mingled  with  a 
groan  of  pain. 

"  My  worst  forebodings  are  realized !"  said  Mabel,  with  a  sort 
of  desperate  calmness.  "Pathfinder,  my  father  must  be  brought 
within  the  block,  though  we  hazard  every  thing  to  do  it." 

"  This  is  natur',  and  it  is  the  law  of  God.  But,  Mabel, 
be  calm,  and  endivour  to  be  cool.  All  that  can  be  effected 
for  the  sarjeant  by  human  invention,  shall  be  done.  I  only 
ask  you  to  be  cool." 

"  I  am — I  am — Pathfinder.  Never  in  my  life  was  I  more 
calm,  more  collected,  than  at  this  moment.  But  remember 
how  perilous  may  be  every  instant ;  for  Heaven's  sake,  what 
we  do,  let  us  do  without  delay." 

Pathfinder  was  struck  with  the  firmness  of  Mabel's  tones, 
and  perhaps  he  was  a  little  deceived  by  the  forced  tranquillity 
and  self-possession  she  had  assumed.  At  all  events,  he  did 
not  deem  any  farther  explanations  necessary,  but  descended 
forthwith,  and  began  to  unbar  the  door.  This  delicate  pro 
cess  was  conducted  with  the  usual  caution,  but  as  he  warily 
permitted  the  mass  of  timber  to  swing  back  on  the  hinges,  he 
felt  a  pressure  against  it,  that  had  nearly  induced  him  to  close 
it  again.  But  catching  a  glimpse  of  the  cause  through  the 
crack,  the  door  was  permitted  to  swing  back,  when  the  body 
of  Serjeant  Dunham,  which  was  propped  against  it,  fell  partly 
within  the  block.  To  draw  in  the  legs  and  secure  the  fast 
enings,  occupied  the  Pathfinder  but  a  moment.  Then  there 
existed  no  obstacle  to  their  giving  their  undivided  care  to  the 
wounded  man. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  387 

Mabel,  in  this  trying  scene,  conducted  herself  with  the 
Sort  of  unnatural  energy  that  her  sex,  when  aroused,  is  apt 
to  manifest.  She  got  the  "light,  administered  water  to  the 
parched  lips  of  her  father,  and  assisted  Pathfinder  in  forming 
a  bed  of  straw  for  his  body,  and  a  pillow  of  clothes  for  his 
head.  All  this  was  done  earnestly,  and  almost  without  speak 
ing  ;  nor  did  Mabel  shed  a  tear,  until  she  heard  the  blessings 
of  her  father  murmured  on  her  head,  for  this  tenderness  and 
care.  All  this  time,  Mabel  had  merely  conjectured  the  con 
dition  of  her  parent.  Pathfinder,  however,  had  shown 
greater  attention  to  the  physical  danger  of  the  serjeant.  He 
had  ascertained  that  a  rifle-ball  had  passed  through  the  body 
of  the  wounded  man ;  and  he  was  sufficiently  familiar  with 
injuries  of  this  nature,  to  be  certain  that  the  chances  of  his 
surviving  the  hurt  were  very  trifling,  if  any. 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 

tt  Then— drink  my  tears,  while  yet  they  fall- 
Would  that  my  bosom's  blood  were  balm ; 
And — well  thou  knowest — I  'd  shed  it  all, 
To  give  thy  brow  one  minute's  calm." 

MOORE. 

THE  eyes  of  Serjeant  Dunham  had  not  ceased  to  follow 
the  form  of  his  beautiful  daughter,  from  the  moment  that  the 
light  appeared.  He  next  examined  the  door  of  the  block,  to 
ascertain  its  security  ;  for  he  was  left  on  the  ground  below, 
there  being  no  available  means  of  raising  him  to  the  upper 
floor.  Then  he  sought  the  face  of  Mabel ;  for  as  life  wanes 
fast,  the  affections  resume  their  force,  and  we  begin  to  value 
that  most  which  we  feel  we  are  about  to  lose  forever. 

"  God  be  praised,  my  child,  you,  at  least,  have  escaped 
their  murderous  rifles  !"  he  said  ;  for  he  spoke  with  strength, 
and  seemingly,  with  no  additional  pain.  "  Give  me  the  his 
tory  of  this  sad  business,  Pathfinder." 

"  Ah 's  me !  sarjeant ;  it  has  been  sad,  as  you  say.  That 
there  has  been  treachery,  and  the  position  of  the  island  has 


388  THE    PATHFINDER. 

been  betrayed,  is  now  as  sartain,  in  my  judgment,  as  that  we 
still  hold  the  block.  But " 

"  Major  Duncan  was  right ;"  interrupted  Dunham,  laying 
a  hand  on  the  other's  arm. 

"  Not  in  the  sense  you  mean,  sarjeant — no,  not  in  that 
p'int  of  view ;  never.  At  least,  not  in  my  opinion.  I  know 
that  natur'  is  weak — human  natur',  I  mean — and  that  wo 
should  none  of  us  vaunt  of  our  gifts,  whether  red  or  white  ; 
but  I  do  not  think  a  truer-hearted  lad  lives  on  the  lines,  than 
Jasper  Western." 

"  Bless  you — bless  you  for  that,  Pathfinder !"  burst  forth 
from  Mabel's  very  soul,  while  a  flood  of  tears  gave  vent  to 
emotions  that  were  so  varied,  while  they  were  so  violent : — 
"  Oh !  bless  you,  Pathfinder,  bless  you.  The  brave  should 
never  desert  the  brave  —  the  honest  should  sustain  the 
honest." 

The  father's  eyes  were  fastened  anxiously  on  the  face  of 
his  daughter,  until  the  latter  hid  her  countenance  in  her  apron, 
to  conceal  her  tears ;  and  then  they  turned  with  inquiry  to 
the  hard  features  of  the  guide.  The  latter  merely  wore  their 
usual  expression  of  frankness,  sincerity,  and  uprightness ;  and 
the  serjeant  motioned  to  him  to  proceed. 

"  You  know  the  spot  where  the  Sarpent  and  I  left  you, 
sarjeant,"  Pathfinder  resumed  ;  "  and  I  need  say  nothing  of 
all  that  happened  afore.  It  is  now  too  late  to  regret  what 
is  gone  and  passed ;  but  I  do  think  if  I  had  staid  with  the 
boats,  this  would  not  have  come  to  pass !  Other  men  may 
be  as  good  guides  ;  I  make  no  doubt  they  are  :  but  then  na 
tur'  bestows  its  gifts,  and  some  must  be  better  than  other 
some.  I  dare  say,  poor  Gilbert,  who  took  my  place,  has 
suffered  for  his  mistake." 

"  He  fell  at  my  elbow ;"  the  serjeant  answered,  in  a  low, 
melancholy  tone.  "  We  have,  indeed,  all  suffered  for  our 
mistakes !" 

"  No,  no,  sarjeant,  I  meant  no  condemnation  on  you ;  for 
men  were  never  better  commanded  than  your'n,  in  this  very 
expedition.  I  never  beheld  a  prettier  flanking ;  and  the  way 
in  which  you  carried  your  own  boat  up  ag'in  their  howitzer 
might  have  teached  Lundie,  himself,  a  lesson." 

The  eyes  of  the  serjeant  brightened ;  and  his  face  even 
wore  an  expression  of  military  triumph,  though  it  was  of  a 


THE   PATHFINDER.  389 

degree  that  suited  the  humble  sphere  in  which  he  had  been 
an  actor. 

"  Twas  not  badly  done,  my  friend,"  he  said ;  "  and  we 
carried  their  log  breast- work  by  storm  !" 

"  'Twas  nobly  done,  sarjeant :  though  I  fear  when  all  the 
truth  comes  to  be  known,  it  will  be  found  that  these  vaga 
bonds  have  got  their  howitzer  back  ag'in.  Well,  well,  put 
a  stout  heart  upon  it,  and  try  to  forget  all  that  is  disagree 
able,  and  to  remember  only  the  pleasant  part  of  the  matter. 
That  is  your  truest  philosophy  ;  ay,  and  truest  religion,  too. 
If«  the  inimy  has  got  the  howitzer  ag'in,  they've  only  got 
what  belonged  to  them  afore,  and  what  we  couldn't  help. 
They  hav'n't  got  the  block-house,  yet,  nor  are  they  likely  to 
get  it,  unless  they  fire  it  in  the  dark.  Well,  sarjeant,  the 
Sarpent  and  I  separated  about-ten  miles  down  the  river ;  for 
we  thought  it  wisest  not  to  come  upon  even  a  friendly  camp 
without  the  usual  caution.  What  has  become  of  Chingach- 
gook,  I  cannot  say ;  though  Mabel  tells  me  he  is  not  far  off: 
and  I  make  no  question  the  noble-hearted  Delaware  is  doing 
his  duty,  although  he  is  not  now  visible  to  our  eyes.  Mark 
my  word,  sarjeant ;  before  this  matter  is  over,  we  shall  hear 
of  him  at  some  critical  time,  and  that  in  a  discreet  and  credit 
able  manner.  Ah !  the  Sarpent  is,  indeed,  a  wise  and  vir 
tuous  chief;  and  any  white  man  might  covet  his  gifts,  though 
his  rifle  is  not  quite  as  sure  as  Killdeer,  it  must  be  owned. 
Well,  as  I  came  near  the  island,  I  missed  the  smoke,  and 
that  put  me  on  my  guard ;  for  I  knew  that  the  men  of  the 
55th  were  not  cunning  enough  to  conceal  that  sign,  notwith 
standing  all  that  has  been  told  them  of  its  danger.  This 
made  me  more  careful,  until  I  came  in  sight  of  this  mock- 
fisherman,  as  I  've  just  told  Mabel ;  and  then  the  whole  of 
heir  infernal  arts  was  as  plain  before  me,  as  if  I  saw  it  on  a 
map.  I  need  not  tell  you,  sarjeant,  that  my  first  thoughts 
were  of  Mabel ;  and  that,  finding  she  was  in  the  block,  I  came 
here,  in  order  to  live  or  die  in  her  company." 

The  father  turned  a  gratified  look  upon  his  child,  and 
Mabel  felt  a  sinking  of  the  heart  that,  at  such  a  moment,  she 
could  not  have  thought  possible,  when  she  wished  to  believe 
all  her  concern  centred  in  the  situation  of  her  parent.  As 
the  latter  held  out  his  hand,  she  took  it  in  her  own,  and  kissed 
33  * 


390  THE    PATHFINDER. 

it.  Then  kneeling  at  his  side,  she  wept  as  if  her  heart  would 
break. 

«*  Mabel,"  he  said,  steadily,  "  the  will  of  God  must  be 
done.  It  is  useless  to  attempt  deceiving  either  you  or  my 
self:  my  time  has  come,  and  it  is  a  consolation  to  me,  to  die 
like  a  soldier.  Lundie  will  do  me  justice,  for  our  good  friend 
Pathfinder  will  tell  him  what  has  been  done,  and  how  all 
came  to  pass.  You  do  not  forget  our  last  conversation  ?" 

"Nay,  father,  my  time  has  probably  come,  too,"  ex 
claimed  Mabel,  who  felt  just  then,  as  if  it  would  be  a  relief 
to  die.  "  I  cannot  hope  to  escape ;  and  Pathfinder  would 
do  well  to  leave  us,  and  return  to  the  garrison,  with  the  sad 
news,  while  he  can." 

"  Mabel  Dunham,"  said  Pathfinder,  reproachfully,  though 
he  took  her  hand  with  kindness,  "  I  have  not  desarved  this  ; 
I  know  I  am  wild,  and  uncouth,  and  ungainly — " 

"  Pathfinder !" 

'*  Well — well,  we  '11  forget  it ;  you  did  not  mean  it ;  you 
could  not  think  it.  It  is  useless,  now,  to  talk  of  escaping, 
for  the  sarjeant  cannot  be  moved ;  and  the  block-house  must 
be  defended,  cost  what  it  will.  May  be,  Lundie  will  get  the 
tidings  of  our  disaster,  and  send  a  party  to  raise  the  siege." 

"  Pathfinder — Mabel !"  said  the  Serjeant,  who  had  been 
writhing  with  pain,  until  the  cold  sweat  stood  on  his  forehead 
— "  come  both  to  my  side.  You  understand  each  other,  I 
hope?" 

"  Father,  say  nothing  of  that — it  is  all  as  you  wish." 

"  Thank  God  ! — Give  me  your  hand,  Mabel — here,  Path 
finder,  take  it.  I  can  do  no  more  than  give  you  the  girl  in 
this  way.  I  know  you  will  make  her  a  kind  husband.  Do 
not  wait  on  account  of  my  death ;  but  there  will  be  a  chap 
lain  in  the  fort,  before  the  season  closes,  and  let  him  marry 
you  at  once.  My  brother,  if  living,  will  wish  to  go  back  to 
his  vessel,  and  then  the  child  will  have  no  protector.  Mabel, 
your  husband  will  have  been  my  friend,  and  that  will  be  some 
consolation  to  you,  I  hope." 

"  Trust  this  matter  to  me,  sarjeant,"  put  in  Pathfinder ; 
"  leave  it  all  in  my  hands,  as  your  dying  request ;  and  depend 
on  it,  all  will  go  as  it  should." 

"  I  do — I  do  put  all  confidence  in  you,  my  trusty  friend, 
and  empower  you  to  act,  as  I  could  act,  myself,  in  every 


THE    PATHFINDER.  391 

particular.  Mabel,  child — hand  me  the  water — you  will 
never  repent  this  night.  Bless  you,  my  daughter — God  bless, 
and  have  you  in  his  holy  keeping !" 

This  tenderness  was  inexpressibly  touching  to  one  of 
Mabel's  feelings ;  and  she  felt  at  that  moment,  as  if  her  future 
union  with  Pathfinder  had  received  a  solemnization  that  no 
ceremony  of  the  church  could  render  more  holy.  Still,  a 
weight,  as  that  of  a  mountain,  lay  upon  her  heart,  and  she 
thought  it  would  be  happiness  to  die.  Then  followed  a  short 
pause,  when  the  serjeant,  in  broken  sentences,  briefly  related 
what  had  passed,  since  he  parted  with  Pathfinder  and  the 
Delaware.  The  wind  had  come  more  favourable,  and  in 
stead  of  encamping  on  an  island,  agreeably  to  the  original 
intention,  he  had  determined  to  continue,  and  reach  the  sta 
tion,  that  night.  Their  approach  would  have  been  unseen, 
and  a  portion  of  the  calamity  avoided,  he  thought,  had  they 
not  grounded  on  the  point  of  a  neighbouring  island,  where, 
no  doubt,  the  noise  made  by  the  men,  in  getting  off  the  boat, 
gave  notice  of  their  approach,  and  enabled  the  enemy  to  be  in 
readiness  to  receive  them.  They  had  landed  without  the 
slightest  suspicion  of  danger,  though  surprised  at  not  finding 
a  sentinel,  and  had  actually  left  their  arms  in  the  boat,  with 
the  intention  of  first  securing  their  knapsacks  and  provisions. 
The  fire  had  been  so  close,  that  notwithstanding  the  obscurity, 
it  was  very  deadly.  Every  man  had  fallen,  though  two  or 
three  subsequently  arose,  and  disappeared.  Four  or  five  of 
the  soldiers  had  been  killed,  or  so  nearly  so,  as  to  survive  but 
a  few  minutes ;  though,  for  some  unknown  reason,  the  enemy 
did  not  make  the  usual  rush  for  the  scalps.  Serjeant  Dun 
ham  fell  with  the  others ;  and  he  had  heard  the  voice  of 
Mabel,  as  she  rushed  from  the  block-house.  This  frantic  ap 
peal  aroused  all  his  parental  feelings,  and  had  enabled  him  to 
crawl  as  far  as  the  door  of  the  building,  where  he  had  raised 
himself  against  the  logs,  in  the  manner  already  mentioned. 

After  this  simple  explanation  was  made,  the  serjeant  was 
so  weak  as  to  need  repose,  and  his  companions,  while  they 
ministered  to  his  wants,  suffered  some  time  to  pass  in  silence. 
Pathfinder  took  the  occasion  to  reconnoitre  from  the  loops 
and  the  roof,  and  he  examined  the  condition  of  the  rifles,  of 
which  there  were  a  dozen  kept  in  the  building,  the  soldiers 
having  used  their  regimental  muskets  in  the  expedition.  Bui 


392  THE   PATHFINDER. 

Mabel  never  left  her  father's  side  for  an  instant,  and  when,  by 
his  breathing,  she  fancied  he  slept,  she  bent  her  knees  and 
prayed. 

The  half  hour  that  succeeded  was  awfully  solemn  and 
still.  The  moccasin  of  Pathfinder  was  barely  heard  over 
head,  and  occasionally  the  sound  of  the  breech  of  a  rifle  fell 
upon  the  floor,  for  he  was  busied  in  examining  the  pieces, 
with  a  view  to  ascertain  the  state  of  their  charges,  and  thei* 
primings.  Beyond  this  nothing  was  so  loud  as  the  breathing 
of  the  wounded  man.  Mabel's  heart  yearned  to  be  in  com 
munication  with  the  father  she  was  so  soon  to  lose,  and  yet 
she  would  not  disturb  his  apparent  repose.  But  Dunham- 
slept  not ;  he  was  in  that  state  when  the  world  suddenly  loses 
its  attractions,  its  illusions,  and  its  power ;  and  the  unknown 
future  fills  the  mind  with  its  conjectures,  its  revelations  and 
its  immensity.  He  had  been  a  moral  man  for  one  of  his 
mode  of  life,  but  he  had  thought  little  of  this  all-important 
moment.  Had  the  din  of  battle  been  ringing  in  his  ears,  his 
martial  ardour  might  have  endured  to  the  end  ;  but  there,  in 
the  silence  of  that  nearly  untenanted  block-house,  with  no 
sound  to  enliven  him,  no  appeal  to  keep  alive  factitious  sen 
timent,  no  hope  of  victory  to  impel,  things  began  to  appear 
in  their  true  colours,  and  this  state  of  being  to  be  estimated  at 
its  just  value.  He  would  have  given  treasures  for  religious 
consolation,  and  yet  he  knew  not  where  to  turn  to  seek  it.  He 
thought  of  Pathfinder,  but  he  distrusted  his  knowledge.  He 
thought  of  Mabel,  but  for  the  parent  to  appeal  to  the  child 
for  such  succour,  appeared  like  reversing  the  order  of  nature. 
Then  it  was  that  he  felt  the  full  responsibility  of  the  parental 
character,  and  had  some  clear  glimpses  of  the  manner  in 
which  he  himself  had  discharged  the  trust  towards  an  orphan 
child.  While  thoughts  like  these  were  rising  in  his  mind, 
Mabel,  who  watched  the  slightest  change  in  his  breathing, 
heard  a  guarded  knock  at  the  door.  Supposing  it  might  be 
Chingachgook,  she  rose,  undid  two  of  the  bars,  and  held  the 
third  in  her  hand,  as  she  asked  who  was  there.  The  answer 
was  in  her  uncle's  voice,  and  he  implored  her  to  give  him 
instant  admission.  Without  an  instant  of  hesitation,  she 
turned  the  bar,  and  Cap  entered.  He  had  barely  passed  the 
opening,  when  Mabel  closed  the  door  again,  and  secured  k 


THE    PATHFINDER.  393 

as  before,  for  practice  had  rendered  her  expert  in  this  portion 
of  her  duties. 

The  sturdy  seaman,  when  he  had  made  sure  of  the  state 
of  his  brother-in-law,  and  that  Mabel,  as  well  as  himself,  was 
safe,  was  softened  nearly  to  tears.  His  own  appearance  he 
explained,  by  saying  that  he  had  been  carelessly  guarded, 
under  the  impression  that  he  and  the  Quarter-Master  were 
sleeping  under  the  fumes  of  liquor  with  which  they  had  been 
plied  with  a  view  to  keep  them  quiet  in  the  expected  engage 
ment.  Muir  had  been  left  asleep,  or  seeming  to  sleep;  but 
Cap  had  run  into  the  bushes,  on  the  alarm  of  the  attack,  and 
having  found  Pathfinder's  canoe,  had  only  succeeded,  at  that 
moment,  in  getting  to  the  block-house,  whither  he  had  come 
with  the  kind  intent  of  escaping  with  his  niece  by  water.  It 
is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  that  he  changed  his  plan,  when 
he  ascertained  the  state  of  the  serjeant,  and  the  apparent  se- 
curit$r  of  his  present  quarters. 

"  If  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst,  Master  Pathfinder,"  he 
said,  "  we  must  strike,  and  that  will  entitle  us  to  receive 
quarter.  We  owe  it  to  our  manhood  to  hold  out  a  reason 
able  time,  and  to  ourselves  to  haul  down  the  ensign  in  season 
to  make  saving  conditions.  I  wished  Master  Muir  to  do  the 
same  thing,  when  we  were  captured  by  these  chaps  you  call 
vagabonds, — and  rightly  are  they  named,  for  viler  vagabonds 
do  not  walk  the  earth — " 

"  You  've  found  out  their  characters !"  interrupted  Path 
finder,  who  was  always  as  ready  to  chime  in  with  abuse  of 
the  Mingos,  as  with  the  praises  of  his  friends.  "  Now,  had 
you  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Delawares,  you  would  havo 
learned  the  difference." 

"  Well,  to  me,  they  seem  much  of  a  muchness ;  black 
guards  fore  and  aft,  always  excepting  our  friend  the  Serpent, 
who  is  a  gentleman,  for  an  Indian.  But,  when  these  savages 
made  the  assault  on  us,  killing  Corporal  McNab  and  his  men, 
as  if  they  had  been  so  many  rabbits,  Lieutenant  Muir  and  my 
self  took  refuge  in  one  of  the  holes  of  this  here  island,  of  which 
there  are  so  many  among  the  rocks — regular  geological  under 
ground  burrows  made  by  the  water,  as  the  lieutenant  says, — and 
there  we  remained  stowed  away  like  two  leaguers  in  a  ship's 
hold,  until  we  gave  out  for  want  of  grub.  A  man  may  say 
that  grub  is  the  foundation  of  human  nature.  I  desired  the 


394  THE    PATHFINDER. 

Quarter-Master  to  make  terms,  for  we  could  have  defended 
ourselves  for  an  hour  or  two  in  the  place,  bad  as  it  was ;  but 
he  declined,  on  the  ground  that  the  knaves  wouldn't  keep 
faith,  if  any  of  them  were  hurt,  and  so  there  was  no  use  in 
asking  them  to.  I  consented  to  strike,  on  two  principles ; 
one,  that  we  might  be'said  to  have  struck  already,  for  running 
below  is  generally  thought  to  be  giving  up  the  ship;  and  the 
other  that  we  had  an  enemy  in  our  stomachs  that  was  more 
formidable  in  his  attacks,  than  the  enemy  on  deck.  Hunger 

is  a  d ble  circumstance,  as  any  man  who  has  lived  on  it 

eight-and- forty  hours  will  acknowledge." 

"  Uncle !"  said  Mabel,  in  a  mournful  voice  and  with  an  ex- 
postulatory  manner,  "  my  poor  father  is  sadly,  sadly  hurt !" 

"  True,  Magnet,  true — I  will  sit  by  him,  and  do  my  best 
at  consolation.  Are  the  bars  well  fastened,  girl?  for,  on  such 
an  occasion,  the  mind  should  be  tranquil  and  undisturbed." 

"  We  are  safe,  I  believe,  from  all  but  this  heavy  blow  of 
Providence." 

"  Well,  then,  Magnet,  do  you  go  up  to  the  floor  above,  and 
try  to  compose  yourself,  while  Pathfinder  runs  aloft  and 
takes  a  look-out  from  the  cross-trees.  Your  father  may 
wish  to  say  something  to  me,  in  private,  and  it  may  be  well 
to  leave  us  alone.  These  are  solemn  scenes,  and  inexpe 
rienced  people,  like  myself,  do  not  always  wish  whai  they 
say  to  be  overheard." 

Although  the  idea  of  her  uncle's  affording  religious  consola 
tion  by  the  side  of  a  death-bed,  certainly  never  obtruded 
itself  on  the  imagination  of  Mabel,  she  thought  there  might  be 
a  propriety  in  the  request,  with  which  she  was  unacquaint 
ed  ;  and  she  complied  accordingly.  Pathfinder  had  already 
ascended  to  the  roof  to  make  his  survey,  and  the  brothers-in- 
law  were  left  alone.  Cap  took  a  seat  by  the  side  of  the  ser- 
jeant,  and  bethought  him,  seriously,  of  the  grave  duty  he 
had  before  him.  A  silence  of  several  minutes  succeeded, 
during  which  brief  space,  the  mariner  was  digesting  the 
substance  of  his  intended  discourse. 

"  I  must  say,  Serjeant  Dunham,"  Cap  at  length  com- 
nenced,  in  his  peculiar  manner,  "  that  there  has  been  mis 
management  somewhere  in  this  unhappy  expedition,  and, 
<he  present  being  an  occasion  when  truth  ought  to  be  spoken, 
•and  nothing  but  the  truth,  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  say  as  much, 


THE    PATHFINDER.  395 

in  plain  language.  In  short,  serjeant,  on  this  point  thtio 
cannot  well  be  two  opinions,  for,  seaman  as  I  am,  and  no 
soldier,  I  can  see  several  errors  myself,  that  it  needs  no  great 
education  to  detect." 

"  What  would  you  have,  brother  Cap  ?"  returned  the  other, 
in  a  feeble  voice — "  what  is  done,  is  done ;  and  it  is  now  too 
late  to  remedy  it." 

"  Very  true,  brother  Dunham,  but  not  to  repent  of  it ;  the 
good  book  tells  us,  it  is  never  too  late  to  repent ;  and  I  've 
always  heard  that  this  is  the  precious  moment.  If  you  've 
any  thing  on  your  mind,  serjeant,  hoist  it  out  freely,  for,  you 
know,  you  trust  it  to  a  friend.  You  were  my  own  sister's 
husband,  and  poor  little  Magnet  is  my  own  sister's  daughter  ; 
and,  living  or  dead,  I  shall  always  look  upon  you  as  a  bro 
ther.  It's  a  thousand  pities  that  you  did  n't  lie  off  and  on, 
with  the  boats,  and  send  a  canoe  ahead,  to  reconnoitre ;  in 
which  case  your  command  would  have  been  saved,  and  this 
disaster  would  not  have  befallen  us  all.  Well,  serjeant,  we 
are  all  mortal ;  that  is  some  consolation,  I  make  no  doubt  ; 
and  if  you  go  before,  a  little,  why,  we  must  follow.  Yes, 
that  must  give  him  consolation." 

"  I  know  all  this,  brother  Cap  ,•  and  hope  I  'm  prepared  to 
meet  a  soldier's  fate — there  is  poor  Mabel — " 

"  Ay,  ay — that's  a  heavy  drag,  I  know  ;  but  you  would  n't 
take  her  with  you,  if  you  could,  serjeant ;  and  so  the  better 
way  is  to  make  as  light  of  the  separation  as  you  can.  Mabel 
is  a  good  girl,  and  so  was  her  mother,  before  her ;  she  was  my 
sister,  and  it  shall  be  my  care  to  see  that  her  daughter  gets  a 
good  husband,  if  our  lives  and  scalps  are  spared ;  for  I  sup 
pose  no  one  would  care  about  entering  into  a  family  that  has 
no  scalps." 

"  Brother,  my  child  is  betrothed — she  will  become  the  wife 
of  Pathfinder." 

"  Well,  brother  Dunham,  every  man  has  his  opinions,  and 
his  manner  of  viewing  things  ;  and,  to  my  notion,  this  match 
will  be  any  thing  but  agreeable  to  Mabel.  I  have  no  objec 
tion  to  the  age  of  the  man  ;  I  'm  not  one  of  them  that  thinks 
it  necessary  to  be  a  boy,  to  make  a  girl  happy  ;  but  on  the 
whole,  I  prefer  a  man  of  about  fifty,  for  a  husband ;  still, 
there  ought  not  to  be  any  circumstance  between  the  parties 
to  make  them  unhappy.  Circumstances  play  the  devil  with 


396  THE    PATHFINDER. 

matrimony  ;  and  I  set  it  down  as  one,  that  Pathfinder  don'f 
know  as  much  as  my  niece.  You've  seen  but  little  of  the 
girl,  serjeant,  and  have  not  got  the  run  of  her  knowledge; 
but,  let  her  pay  it  out  freely,  as  she  will  do,  when  she  gets 
to  be  thoroughly  acquainted,  and  you  '11  fall  in  with  but  few 
schoolmasters  that  can  keep  their  luffs  in  her  company." 

"  She's  a  good  child — a  dear  good  child,"  muttered  the 
serjeant,  his  eyes  filling  with  tears — "  and  it  is  my  misfor 
tune,  that  I  have  seen  so  little  of  her." 

"  She  is,  indeed,  a  good  girl,  and  knows  altogether  too 
much  for  poor  Pathfinder,  who  is  a  reasonable  man,  and  an 
experienced  man,  in  his  own  way  ;  but  who  has  no  more  idea 
of  the  main  chance,  than  you  have  of  spherical  trigonome 
try,  serjeant." 

"  Ah !  brother  Cap,  had  Pathfinder  been  with  us,  in  the 
boats,  this  sad  affair  might  not  have  happened !" 

"  That  is  quite  likely  ;  for  his  worst  enemy  will  allow  that 
the  man  is  a  good  guide ;  but,  then,  serjeant,  if  the  truth 
must  be  spoken,  you  have  managed  this  expedition  in  a  loose 
way,  altogether :  you  should  have  hove-to  off  your  haven, 
and  sent  in  a  boat  to  reconnoitre,  as  I  told  you  before.  That 
is  a  matter  to  be  repented  of;  and  I  tell  it  to  you,  because 
truth,  in  such  a  case,  ought  to  be  spoken." 

"  My  errors  are  dearly  paid  for,  brother;  and  pocr  Mabel, 
I  fear,  will  be  the  sufferer.  I  think,  however,  that  the  cala 
mity  would  not  have  happened,  had  there  not  been  treason. 
I  fear  me,  brother,  that  Jasper  Eau-douce  has  played  us 
false !" 

"  That  is  just  my  notion ;  for  this  fresh-water  life  must, 
sooner  or  later,  undermine  any  man's  morals.  Lieutenant 
Muir  and  myself  talked  this  matter  over,  while  we  lay  in  a  bit 
of  a  hole,  out  here,  on  this  island  ;  and  we  both  came  to  the 
conclusion,  that  nothing  short  of  Jasper's  treachery  could 
have  brought  us  all  into  this  infernal  scrape.  Well,  serjeant, 
you  had  better  compose  your  mind,  and  think  of  other  mat 
ters  ;  for,  when  a  vessel  is  about  to  enter  a  strange  port,  it  is 
more  prudent  to  think  of  the  anchorage  inside,  than  to  be  un 
der-running  all  the  events  that  have  turned  up,  during  the 
v'yage — there's  the  log-book,  expressly  to  note  all  these  mat 
ters  in ;  and  what  stands  there,  must  form  the  column  of 
figures  that's  to  be  posted  up,  for  or  against  us.  How  now, 


THE   PATHFINDER.  397 

Pathfinder !  is  there  any  thing  in  the  wind,  that  you  come 
down  the  ladder,  like  an  Indian  in  the  wake  of  a  scalp  ?" 

The  guide  raised  a  finger  for  silence,  and  then  beckoned 
to  Cap  to  ascend  the  first  ladder,  and  to  allow  Mabel  to  take 
his  place  at  the  side  of  the  serjeant. 

"  We  must  be  prudent,  and  we  must  be  bold,  too,"  he 
said,  in  a  low  voice.  "  The  riptyles  are  in  earnest  in  their 
intention  to  fire  the  block,  for  they  know  there  is  now  nothing 
to  be  gained  by  letting  it  stand.  I  hear  the  voice  of  that 
vagabond  Arrowhead,  among  them,  and  he  is  urging  them 
to  set  about  their  deviltry  this  very  night.  We  must  be 
stirring,  Salt-water,  and  doing  too.  Luckily,  there  are  four 
or  five  barrels  of  water  in  the  block,  and  these  are  something 
towards  a  siege.  My  reckoning  is  wrong,  too,  or  we  shall 
yet  reap  some  advantage  from  that  honest  fellow's,  the  Sar- 
pent,  being  at  liberty." 

Cap  did  not  wait  for  a  second  invitation,  but  stealing  away, 
he  was  soon  in  the  upper  room,  with  Pathfinder,  while  Mabel 
took  his  post  at  the  side  of  her  father's  humble  bed.  Path 
finder  had  opened  a  loop,  having  so  far  concealed  the  light 
that  it  would  not  expose  him  to  a  treacherous  shot,  and,  ex 
pecting  a  summons,  he  stood  with  his  face  near  the  hole, 
ready  to  answer.  The  stillness  that  succeeded,  was  at  length 
broken  by  the  voice  of  Muir. 

"Master  Pathfinder,"  called  out  the  Scotchman,  "a  friend 
summons  you  to  a  parley.  Come  freely  to  one  of  the  loops, 
for  you  've  nothing  to  fear,  so  long  as  you  are  in  converse 
with  an  officer  of  the  55th." 

"  What  is  your  will,  Quarter-Master — what  is  your  will  ? 
I  know  the  55th,  and  believe  it  to  be  a  brave  regiment,  though 
I  rather  incline  to  the  60th,  as  my  favourite,  and  to  the  Dela- 
wares  more  than  to  either.  But  what  would  you  have,  Quarter- 
Master  ?  It  must  be  a  pressing  errand  that  brings  you  under 
the  loops  of  a  block-house,  at  this  hour  of  the  night,  with 
the  sartainty  of  Killdeer's  being  inside  of  it." 

"Oh!  you'll  no  harm  a  friend,  Pathfinder,  I'm  certain, 
and  that 's  my  security.  You  're  a  man  of  judgment,  and 
have  gained  too  great  a  name  on  this  frontier  for  bravery,  to 
feel  the  necessity  of  fool-hardiness  to  obtain  a  character. 
You  '11  very  well  understand,  my  good  friend,  there  is  as 
much  credit  to  be  gained  by  submitting  gracefully,  when  re- 
34 


398  THE    PATHFINDER. 

sistance  becomes  impossible,  as  by  obstinately  holding  out 
contrary  to  the  rules  of  war.  The  enemy  is  too  strong  for 
us,  my  brave  comrade,  and  I  come  to  counsel  you  to  give  up 
the  block,  on  condition  of  being  treated  as  a  prisoner  of  war." 

"  I  thank  you  for  this  advice,  Quarter- Master,  which  is  the 
more  acceptable,  as  it  costs  nothing.  But,  I  do  not  think  it 
belongs  to  my  gifts  to  yield  a  place  like  this,  while  food  and 
water  last." 

"Well,  I'd  be  the  last,  Pathfinder,  to  recommend  any 
thing  against  so  brave  a  resolution,  did  I  see  the  means  of 
maintaining  it.  But  ye '11  remember  that  Master  Cap  has 
fallen—" 

"Not  he — not  he,"  roared  the  individual  in  question 
through  another  loop — "  so  far  from  that,  Lieutenant,  he  has 
risen  to  the  height  of  this  here  fortification,  and  has  no  mind 
to  put  his  head  of  hair  into  the  hands  of  such  barbers,  again, 
so  long  as  he  can  help  it.  I  look  upon  this  block-house  as 
a  circumstance,  and  have  no  mind  to  throw  it  away." 

"  If  that  is  a  living  voice,"  returned  Muir,  "  I  am  glad  to 
hear  it,  for  we  all  thought  the  m*an  had  fallen  in  the  late 
fearful  confusion  !  But,  master  Pathfinder,  although  ye  're 
enjoying  the  society  of  your  friend  Cap,  and  a  great  pleasure 
do  I  know  it  to  be,  by  the  experience  of  two  days  and  a  night 
passed  in  a  hole  in  the  earth,  we've  lost  that  of  Serjeant 
Dunham,  who  has  fallen,  with  all  the  brave  men  he  led  in 
the  late  expedition.  Lundie  would  have  it  so,  though  it  would 
have  been  more  discreet  and  becoming  to  send  a  com 
missioned  officer  in  command.  Dunham  was  a  brave  man, 
notwithstanding,  and  shall  have  justice  done  his  memory.  In 
short,  we  have  all  acted  for  the  best,  and  that  is  as  much  as 
could  be  said  in  favour  of  Prince  Eugene,  the  Duke  of  Marl- 
borough,  or  the  great  Earl  of  Stair  himself." 

"You're  wrong  ag'in,  Quarter-Master,  you're  wrong 
ag'in,"  answered  Pathfinder,  resorting  to  a  ruse  to  magnify 
his  force.  "  The  sarjeant  is  safe  in  the  block  too,  where  one 
might  say,  the  whole  family  is  collected." 

"  Well,  I  rejoice  to  hear  it,  for  we  had  certainly  counted 
the  serjeant  among  the  slain.  If  pretty  Mabel  is  in  the  block 
still,  let  her  not  delay  an  instant,  for  Heaven's  sake,  in  quit 
ting  it,  for  the  enemy  is  about  to  put  it  to  the  trial  by  fire. 
Ye  know  the  potency  of  that  dread  element,  and  will  be  act- 


THE    PATHFINDER. 


399 


ing  more  like  the  discreet  and  experienced  warrior  ye  're  uni 
versally  allowed  to  be,  in  yielding  a  place  you  canna'  defend, 
than  in  drawing  down  ruin  on  yourself  and  companions." 

"  I  know  the  potency  of  fire,  as  you  call  it,  Quarter-Mas 
ter,  and  am  not  to  be  told,  at  this  late  hour,  that  it  can  be 
used  for  something  else  besides  cooking  a  dinner.  But,  I  make 
QO  doubt,  you  've  heard  of  the  potency  of  Killdeer,  and  the 
man  who  attempts  to  lay  a  pile  of  brush  against  these  logs 
will  get  a  taste  of  his  power.  As  for  arrows,  it  is  not  in 
their  gift  to  set  this  building  on  fire,  for  we  've  no  shingles  on 
our  roof,  but  good  solid  logs  and  green  bark,  and  plenty  of 
water  besides.  The  roof  is  so  flat,  too,  as  you  know  your 
self,  Quarter-Master,  that  we  can  walk  on  it,  and  so  no  dan 
ger  on  that  score  while  water  lasts.  1 'm  peaceable  enough 
if  let  alone,  but  he  who  endivours  to  burn  this  block  over  my 
head  will  find  the  fire  squinched  in  his  own  blood." 

"  This  is  idle  and  romantic  talk,  Pathfinder,  and  ye  '11  no 
maintain  it  yourself  when  ye  come  to  meditate  on  the  reali 
ties.  I  hope  ye  '11  no  gainsay  the  loyalty  or  the  courage  of 
the  55th,  and  I  feel  convinced  that  a  council  of  war  would 
decide  on  the  propriety  of  a  surrender  forthwith.  Na' — na' 
— Pathfinder,  foolhardiness  is  na'  mair  like  the  bravery  o' 
Wallace  or  Bruce,  than  Albany  on  the  Hudson  is  like  the 
old  town  of  Edinbro'." 

"  As  each  of  us  seems  to  have  made  up  his  mind,  Quarter- 
Master,  more  words  are  useless.  If  the  riptyles  near  you 
are  disposed  to  set  about  their  hellish  job,  let  them  begin  at 
once.  They  can  burn  wood  and  I  '11  burn  powder.  If  I 
were  an  Indian  at  the  stake,  I  suppose  I  could  brag  as  well 
as  the  rest  of  them,  but  my  gifts  and  natur'  being  both  white/ 
my  turn  is  rather  for  doing  than  talking.  You  've  said  quite 
enough,  considering  you  carry  the  king's  commission ;  and 
should  we  all  be  consumed,  none  of  us  will  bear  you  any 
malice." 

"Pathfinder,  ye '11  no  be  exposing  Mabel,  pretty  Mabel 
Dunham,  to  sic'  a  calamity  !" 

"Mabel  Dunham  is  by  the  side  of  her  wounded •  father, 
and  God  will  care  for  the  safety  of  a  pious  child.  Not  a 
hair  of  her  head  shall  fall,  while  my  arm  and  sight  remain 
true ;  and  though  you  may  trust  the  Mingos,  Master  Muir,  I 
put  no  faith  in  them.  You  Ve  a  knavish  Tuscarora  in  your 


400  THE    PATHFINDER. 

company  there,  who  has  art  and  malice  enough  to  spoil  the 
character  of  any  tribe  with  which  he  consorts,  though  he 
found  the  Mingos  ready  ruined  to  his  hands,  I  fear.  But, 
enough  said ;  now  let  each  party  go  to  the  use  of  his  means 
and  his  gifts." 

Throughout  this  dialogue  Pathfinder  had  kept  his  body 
covered,  lest  a  treacherous  shot  should  be  aimed  at  the  loop , 
and  he  now  directed  Cap  to  ascend  to  the  roof  in  order  to  be 
in  readiness  to  meet  the  first  assault.  Although  the  latter 
used  sufficient  diligence,  he  found  no  less  than  ten  blazing 
arrows  sticking  to  the  bark,  while  the  air  was  filled  with  the 
yells  and  whoops  of  the  enemy.  A  rapid  discharge  of  rifles 
followed,  and  the  bullets  came  pattering  against  the  logs,  in 
a  way  to  show  that  the  struggle  had  indeed  seriously  com 
menced. 

These  were  sounds,  however,  that  appalled  neither  Path- 
finder  nor  Cap,  while  Mabel  was  too  much  absorbed  in  her 
affliction  to  feel  alarm.  She  had  good  sense  enough,  too,  to 
understand  the  nature  of  the  defences,  and  fully  to  appreci 
ate  their  importance.  As  for  her  father,  the  familiar  noises 
revived  him,  and  it  pained  his  child,  at  such  a  moment,  to 
see  that  his  glassy  eye  began  to  kindle,  and  that  the  blood 
returned  to  a  cheek  it  had  deserted,  as  he  listened  to  the  up 
roar.  It  was  now  Mabel  first  perceived  that  his  reason  began 
slightly  to  wander. 

"  Order  up  the  light  companies,"  he  muttered, "  and  let  the 
grenadiers  charge  !  Do  they  dare  to  attack  us  in  our  fort  ? 
Why  does  not  the  artillery  open  on  them  ?" 

At  that  instant,  the  heavy  report  of  a  gun  burst  on  the 
night ;  and  the  crashing  of  rending  wood  was  heard,  as  a 
heavy  shot  tore  the  logs  in  the  room  above,  and  the  whole 
block  shook  with  the  force  of  a  shell  that  lodged  in  the  work. 
The  Pathfinder  narrowly  escaped  the  passage  of  this  formi 
dable  missile,  as  it  entered;  but  when  it  exploded,  Mabel 
could  not  suppress  a  shriek ;  for  she  supposed  all  over  her 
head,  whether  animate  or  inanimate,  destroyed.  To  in 
crease  her  horror,  her  father  shouted,  in  a  frantic  voice,  to 
«'  charge !" 

"  Mabel,"  said  Pathfinder,  with  his  head  at  the  trap,  "  this 
is  true  Mingo  work — more  noise  than  injury.  The  vaga 
bonds  have  got  the  howitzer  we  look  from  the  French,  and 


THE    PATHFINDER.  401 

have  discharged  it  ag'in  the  block;  but.  fortunately,  they 
have  fired  off  the  only  shell  we  had,  and  there  is  an  ind  of 
its  use,  for  the  present.  There  is  some  confusion  among  the 
stores  up  in  this  loft,  but  no  one  is  hurt.  Your  uncle  is  still 
on  the  roof;  and  as  for  myself,  I  've  run  the  gauntlet  of  too 
many  rifles  to  be  skeary  about  such  a  thing  as  a  howitzer, 
and  that  in  Indian  hands." 

Mabel  murmured  her  thanks,  and  tried  to  give  all  her  at 
tention  to  her  father ;  whose  efforts  to  rise  were  only  coun 
teracted  by  his  debility.  During  the  fearful  minutes  that 
succeeded,  she  was  so  much  occupied  with  the  care  of  the 
invalid,  that  she  scarce  heeded  the  clamour  that  reigned 
around  her.  Indeed,  the  uproar  was  so  great,  that,  had 
not  her  thoughts  been  otherwise  employed,  confusion  of  fac 
ulties,  rather  than  alarm,  would  probably  have  been  the 
consequence. 

Cap  preserved  his  coolness  admirably.  He  had  a  pro 
found  and  increasing  respect  for  the  power  of  the  savages, 
and  even  for  the  majesty  of  fresh- water,  it  is  true ;  but  his 
apprehensions  of  the  former  proceeded  more  from  his  dread 
of  being  scalped  and  tortured,  than  from  any  unmanly  fear 
of  death  :  and,  as  he  was  now  on  the  deck  of  a  house,  if  not 
on  the  deck  of  a  ship,  and  knew  that  there  was  little  danger  of 
boarders,  he  moved  about  with  a  fearlessness,  and  a  rash  ex 
posure  of  his  person,  that  Pathfinder,  had  he  been  aware  of 
the  fact,  would  have  been  the  first  to  condemn.  Instead  of 
keeping  his  body  covered,  agreeably  to  the  usages  of  Indian 
warfare,  he  was  seen  on  every  part  of  the  roof,  dashing  the 
water  right  and  left,  with  the  apparent  steadiness  and  uncon 
cern  he  would  have  manifested  had  he  been  a  sail-trimmer, 
exercising  his  art,  in  a  battle  afloat.  His  appearance  was 
one  of  the  causes  of  the  extraordinary  clamour  among  the 
assailants ;  who,  unused  to  see  their  enemies  so  reckless, 
opened  upon  him  with  their  tongues,  like  the  pack  that  has 
the  fox  in  view.  Still  he  appeared  to  possess  a  charmed 
life ;  for,  though  the  bullets  whistled  around  him  on  every 
side,  and  his  clothes  were  several  times  torn,  nothing  cut  his 
skin.  When  the  shell  passed  through  the  logs  below,  the 
old  sailor  dropped  his  bucket,  waved  his  hat,  and  gave  three 
cheers ;  in  which  heroic  act  he  was  employed,  as  the  dan 
gerous  missile  exploded.  This  characteristic  feat  probably 
34* 


402  THE  PATHFINDER. 

saved  his  life ;  for,  from  that  instant,  the  Indians  ceased  to 
fire  at  him,  and  even  to  shoot  their  flaming  arrows  at  the 
block — having  taken  up  the  notion  simultaneously,  and  by 
common  consent,  that  the  "  Salt-water"  was  mad  ;  and  it  was 
a  singular  effect  of  their  magnanimity,  never  to  lift  a  hand 
against  those  whom  they  imagined  devoid  of  reason. 

The  conduct  of  Pathfinder  was  very  different.  Every 
thing  he  did  was  regulated  by  the  most  exact  calculation^ 
the  result  of  long  experience,  and  habitual  thoughtfulness. 
His  person  was  kept  carefully  out  of  a  line  with  the  loops, 
and  the  spot  that  he  selected  for  his  look-out  was  one  that 
was  quite  removed  from  danger.  This  celebrated  guide 
had  often  been  known  to  lead  forlorn  hopes ;  he  had  once 
stood  at  the  stake,  suffering  under  the  cruelties  and  taunts 
of  savage  ingenuity,  and  savage  ferocity,  without  quailing : 
and  legends  of  his  exploits,  coolness,  and  daring,  were  to  bo 
heard  all  along  that  extensive  frontier,  or  wherever  men 
dwelt,  and  men  contended.  But,  on  this  occasion,  one  who 
did  not  know  his  history  and  character,  might  have  thought 
his  exceeding  care,  and  studied  attention  to  self-preservation, 
proceeded  from  an  unworthy  motive.  But  such  a  judge 
would  not  have  understood  his  subject.  The  Pathfinder  be 
thought  him  of  Mabel,  and  of  what  might  possibly  be  the 
consequences  to  that  poor  girl,  should  any  casualty  befal 
himself.  But  the  recollection  rather  quickened  his  intellect, 
than  changed  his  customary  prudence.  He  was,  in  fact, 
one  of  those  who  was  so  unaccustomed  to  fear,  that  he 
never  bethought  him  of  the  constructions  others  might  put 
upon  his  conduct.  But,  while,  in  moments  of  danger,  he 
acted  with  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent,  it  was  also  with  the 
simplicity  of  a  child. 

For  the  first  ten  minutes  of  the  assault,  Pathfinder  never 
raised  the  breech  of  his  rifle  from  the  floor,  except  when  he 
changed  his  own  position,  for  he  well  knew  that  the  bullets 
of  the  enemy  were  thrown  away  upon  the  massive  logs  of 
the  work ;  and,  as  he  had  been  at  the  capture  of  the  howit 
zer,  he  felt  certain  that  the  savages  had  no  other  shell  than 
the  one  found  in  it  when  the  piece  was  taken.  There  existed 
no  reason,  therefore,  to  dread  the  fire  of  the  assailants,  except 
as  a  casual  bullet  might  find  a  passage  through  a  loop-hole. 
One  or  two  of  these  accidents  did  occur,  but  the  balls  entered 


THE  PATHFINDER.  403 

at  an  angle  that  deprived  them  of  all  chance  of  doing  any 
injury,  so  long  as  the  Indians  kept  near  the  block ;  and,  if 
discharged  from  a  distance,  there  w<*s  scarcely  the  possibility 
of  one  in  a  hundred's  striking  the  apertures.  But,  when 
Pathfinder  heard  the  sound  of  moccasined  feet,  and  the  rust 
ling  of  brush  at  the  foot  of  the  building,  he  knew  that  the 
attempt  to  build  a  fire  against  the  logs  was  about  to  be  re 
newed.  He  now  summoned  Cap  from  the  roof,  where  indeed 
all  the  danger  had  ceased,  and  directed  him  to  stand  in  rea 
diness  with  his  water,  at  a  hole  immediately  over  the  spot 
assailed. 

One  less  trained  than  our  hero,  would  have  been  in  a  hurry 
to  repel  this  dangerous  attempt  also,  and  might  have  resorted 
to  his  means  prematurely ;  not  so  with  Pathfinder.  His  aim 
was  not  only  to  extinguish  the  fire,  about  which  he  felt  little 
apprehension,  but  to  give  the  enemy  a  lesson  that  would  ren 
der  him  wary  during  the  remainder  of  the  night.  In  order 
to  effect  the  latter  purpose,  it  became  necessary  to  wait  until 
the  light  of  the  intended  conflagration  should  direct  his  aim, 
when  he  well  knew  that  a  very  slight  effort  of  his  skill  would 
suffice.  The  Iroquois  were  permitted  to  collect  their  heap 
of  dried  bush,  to  pile  it  against  the  block,  to  light  it,  and  to 
return  to  their  covers,  without  molestation.  All  that  Path 
finder  would  suffer  Cap  to  do  was  to  roll  a  barrel  filled  with 
water  to  the  hole  immediately  over  the  spot,  in  readiness  to 
be  used  at  the  proper  instant.  That  moment,  however,  did 
not  arrive,  in  his  judgment,  until  the  blaze  illuminated  the 
surrounding  bushes,  and  there  had  been  time  for  his  quick 
and  practised  eye  to  detect  the  forms  of  three  or  four  lurking 
savages,  who  were  watching  the  progress  of  the  flames,  with 
the  cool  indifference  of  men  accustomed  to  look  on  human 
misery  with  apathy.  Then  indeed  he  spoke. 

"  Are  you  ready,  friend  Cap?"  he  asked.  "  The  heat  be 
gins  to  strike  through  the  crevices,  and,  although  these  green 
logs  are  not  of  the  fiery  natur'  of  an  ill-tempered  man, 
they  may  be  kindled  into  a  blaze  if  one  provokes  them  too 
much.  Are  you  ready  with  the  barrel  ? — See  that  it  has  the 
right  cut,  and  that  none  of  the  water  is  wasted." 

"  All  ready — "  answered  Cap,  in  the  manner  in  which  a 
eeaman  replies  to  such  a  demand. 


404  THE   PATHFINDER. 

"  Then  wait  for  the  word.  Never  be  over-impatient  in  a 
critical  time,  nor  fool-risky  in  a  battle.  Wait  for  the  word." 

While  the  Pathfinder  was  giving  these  directions,  he  was 
also  making  his  own  preparations,  for  he  saw  it  was  time  to 
act.  Killdeer  was  deliberately  raised,  pointed,  and  discharged. 
The  whole  process  occupied  about  half  a  minute,  and,  as 
the  rifle  was  drawn  in,  the  eye  of  the  marksman  was  applied 
to  the  hole. 

"  There  is  one  riptyle  the  less — "  Pathfinder  muttered  to 
himself — "  I  've  seen  that  vagabond  afore,  and  know  him  to 
be  a  marciless  devil.  Well,  well ;  the  man  acted  according 
to  his  gifts,  and  he  has  been  rewarded  according  to  his  gifts. 
One  more  of  the  knaves,  and  that  will  sarve  the  turn  for  to 
night.  When  day-light  appears,  we  may  have  hotter  work." 

All  this  time,  another  rifle  was  getting  ready  ;  and  as  Path 
finder  ceased,  a  second  savage  fell.  This,  indeed,  sufficed ; 
for,  indisposed  to  wait  for  a  third  visitation  from  the  same 
hand,  the  whole  band,  which  had  been  crouching  in  the 
bushes  around  the  block,  ignorant  of  who  was,  and  who  was 
not  exposed  to  view,  leaped  from  their  covers,  and  fled  to  dif 
ferent  places  for  safety. 

"  Now,  pour  away,  Master  Cap,"  said  Pathfinder — "  I  've 
made  my  mark  on  the  blackguards ;  and  we  shall  have  no 
no  more  fires  lighted  to-night." 

*4  Scaldings  !"  cried  Cap,  upsetting  the  barrel,  with  a  care, 
that  at  once,  and  completely  extinguished  the  flames. 

This  ended  the  singular  conflict ;  and  the  remainder  of  the 
night  passed  in  peace.  Pathfinder  and  Cap  watched  alter 
nately,  though  neither  can  be  said  to  have  slept.  Sleep,  in 
deed,  scarcely  seemed  necessary  to  them,  for  both  were 
accustomed  to  protracted  watchings ;  and  there  were  sea 
sons  and  times,  when  the  former  appeared  to  be  literally 
insensible  to  the  demands  of  hunger  and  thirst,  and  callous 
to  the  effects  of  fatigue. 

Mabel  watched  by  her  father's  pallet,  and  began  to  fee) 
how  much  our  happiness,  in  this  world,  depends  even  on 
things  that  are  imaginary.  Hitherto,  she  had  virtually  lived 
without  a  father,  the  connexion  with  her  remaining  parent 
being  ideal,  rather  than  positive ;  but,  now  that  she  was  about 
to  lose  him,  she  thought,  for  the  moment,  that  the  world 
would  be  a  void  after  his  death,  and  that  she  could  never  be 
acquainted  with  happiness  again. 


THE   PATHFINDER.  405 


CHAPTER  XXY. 

44  There  was  a  roaring  in  the  wind  all  night ; 
The  rain  came  heavily,  and  fell  in  floods ; 
But  now  the  sun  is  rising  calm  and  bright ; 
The  birds  are  singing  in  the  distant  woods." 

WORDSWORTH 

As  the  light  returned,  Pathfinder  and  Cap  ascended  again 
to  the  roof,  with  a  view  to  reconnoitre  the  state  of  things  once 
more,  on  the  island.  This  part  of  the  block-house  had  a  low 
battlement  around  it,  which  afforded  a  considerable  protection 
to  those  who  stood  in  its  centre ;  the  intention  having  been  to 
enable  marksmen  to  lie  behind  it,  and  to  fire  over  its  top. 
By  making  proper  use,  therefore,  of  these  slight  defences — 
slight,  as  to  height,  though  abundantly  ample  as  far  as  they 
went — the  two  look-outs  commanded  a  pretty  good  view  of 
the  island,  its  covers  excepted  ;  and  of  most  of  the  channels 
that  led  to  the  spot. 

The  gale  was  still  blowing  very  fresh  at  south ;  and  there 
were  places  in  the  river  where  its  surface  looked  green  and 
angry,  though  the  wind  had  hardly  sweep  enough  to  raise 
the  water  into  foam.  The  shape  of  the  little  island  was 
generally  oval,  and  its  greatest  length  was  from  east  to  west. 
By  keeping  in  the  channels  that  washed  it,  in  consequence 
of  their  several  courses,  and  of  the  direction  of  the  gale,  it 
would  have  been  possible  for  a  vessel  to  range  past  the  island, 
on  either  of  its  principal  sides,  and  always  to  keep  the  wind 
very  nearly  abeam.  These  were  the  facts  first  noticed  by 
Cap,  and  explained  to  his  companion  ;  for  the  hopes  of  both 
now  rested  on  the  chances  of  relief  sent  from  Oswego.  At 
this  instant,  while  they  stood  gazing  anxiously  about  them, 
Cap  cried  out  in  his  lusty,  hearty,  manner — 

"  Sail,  ho !" 

Pathfinder  turned  quickly  in  the  direction  of  his  compa 
nion's  face,  and  there,  sure  enough,  was  just  visible  the  ob 
ject  of  the  old  sailor's  exclamation.  The  elevation  enabled 
the  two  to  overlook  the  low  land  of  several  of  the  adjacent 
islands ;  and  the  canvass  of  a  vessel  was  seen  through  the 
bushes  that  fringed  the  shore  of  one  ihat  lay  to  the  southward 


4C6  THE    PATHFINDER. 

and  westward.     The  stranger  was  under  what  seamen  call 
low  sail ;  but  so  great  was  the  power  of  the  wind,  that  her 
white  outlines  were  seen  flying  past  the  openings  -of  the  ver 
dure,  with  the  velocity  of  a  fast-travelling  horse ;  resembling 
a  cloud  driving  in  the  heavens. 

"  That  cannot  be  Jasper !"  said  Pathfinder,  in  disappoint- 
ment ;  for  he  did  not  recognise  the  cutter  of  his  friend,  in 
the  swift-passing  object.  "  No — no — the  lad  is  behind  the 
hour ;  and  that  is  some  craft  that  the  Frenchers  have  sent 
to  aid  their  friends,  the  accursed  Mingos." 

"  This  time  you  are  out  in  your  reckoning,  friend  Path 
finder,  if  you  never  were  before,"  returned  Cap,  in  a  manner 
that  had  lost  none  of  its  dogmatism  by  the  critical  circum 
stances  in  which  they  were  placed.  "  Fresh-water  or  salt, 
that  is  the  head  of  the  Scud's  mainsail,  for  it  is  cut  with  a 
smaller  goar  than  common ;  and  then  you  can  see  that  the 
gaff  has  been  fished — quite  neatly  done,  I  admit,  but  fished." 

"  I  can  see  none  of  this,  I  confess,"  answered  Pathfinder, 
to  whom  even  the  terms  of  his  companion  were  Greek. 

"  No  ! — Well,  I  own  that  surprises  me ;  for  I  thought  your 
eyes  could  see  any  thing !  Now,  to  me,  nothing  is  plainer 
than  that  goar  and  that  fish ;  and  I  must  say,  my  honest 
friend,  that,  in  your  place,  I  should  apprehend  that  my  sight 
was  beginning  to  fail." 

"  If  Jasper  is  truly  coming,  1  shall  apprehend  but  little. 
We  can  make  good  the  block  against  the  whole  Mingo  na 
tion,  for  the  next  eight  or  ten  hours  ;  and,  with  Eau-douce  to 
cover  the  retreat,  I  shall  despair  of  nothing.  God  send  that 
the  lad  may  not  run  alongside  of  the  bank,  and  fall  into  an 
ambushment,  as  befel  the  sarjeant !" 

"  Ay ;  there's  the  danger.  There  ought  to  have  been  sig 
nals  concerted,  and  an  anchorage-ground  buoyed  out,  and 
even  a  quarantine  station,  or  a  Lazaretto,  would  have  been 
useful  could  we  have  made  these  Minks-ho  respect  the  laws. 
If  the  lad  fetches  up,  as  you  say,  anywhere  in  the  neigh 
bourhood  of  this  island,  we  may  look  upon  the  cutter  as  lost. 
And,  after  all,  Master  Pathfinder,  ought  we  not  to  set  down 
this  same  Jasper  as  a  secret  ally  of  the  French,  rather  than 
as  a  friend  of  our  own? — I  know  the  serjeant  views  the 
matter  in  that  light,  and  I  must  say  this  whole  affair  looks 
like  treason !" 


THE    PATHFINDER.  407 

"  We  shall  soon  know,  we  shall  soon  know,  Master  Cap, 
for  there  indeed  comes  the  cutter,  clear  of  the  other  island, 
and  five  minutes  must  settle  the  matter.  It  would  be  no 
more  than  fair,  however,  if  we  could  give  the  boy  some  sign 
in  the  way  of  warning.  It  is  not  right  that  he  should  fall 
into  the  trap,  without  a  notice  that  it  has  been  laid." 

Anxiety  and  suspense,  notwithstanding,  prevented  either 
from  attempting  to  make  any  signal.  It  was  not  easy,  truly, 
to  see  how  it  could  be  done ;  for  the  Scud  came  foaming 
through  the  channel,  on  the  weather  side  of  the  island,  at  a 
rate  that  scarce  admitted  of  the  necessary  time.  Nor  was 
any  one  visible  on  her  deck  to  make  signs  to ;  even  her  helm 
seemed  deserted,  though  her  course  was  as  steady  as  her  pro 
gress  was  rapid. 

Cap  stood  in  silent  admiration  of  a  spectacle  so  unusual. 
But,  as  the  Scud  drew  nearer,  his  practised  eye  detected  the 
helm  in  play,  by  means  of  tiller-ropes,  though  the  person 
who  steered  was  concealed.  As  the  cutter  had  weather 
boards  of  some  little  height,  the  mystery  was  explained ;  no 
doubt  remaining  that  her  people  lay  behind  the  latter,  in 
order  to  be  protected  from  the  rifles  of  the  enemy.  As  this 
fact  showed  that  no  force,  beyond  that  of  the  small  crew, 
could  be  on  board,  Pathfinder  received  his  companion's  ex 
planation  with  an  ominous  shake  of  the  head. 

"  This  proves  that  the  Sarpent  has  not  reached  Oswego," 
he  said,  "  arid  that  we  are  not  to  expect  succour  from  the 
garrison.  I  hope  Lundie  has  not  taken  it  into  his  head  to 
displace  the  lad,  for  Jasper  Western  would  be  a  host  of  him 
self,  in  such  a  strait.  We  three,  Master  Cap,  ought  to 
make  a  manful  warfare — you,  as  a  seaman,  to  keep  up  the 
intercourse  with  the  cutter ;  Jasper,  as  a  laker,  who  knows  all 
that  is  necessary  to  be  done  on  the  water  ;  and  I,  with  gifts 
that  are  as  good  as  any  among  the  Mingos,  let  me  be  what  I 
may  in  other  particulars.  I  say,  we  ought  to  make  a  man- 
ful  fight  in  Mabel's  behalf." 

"That  we  ought — and  that  we  will,"  answered  Cap, 
heartily,  for  he  began  to  have  more  confidence  in  the  secu 
rity  of  his  scalp,  now  that  he  saw  the  sun  again ;  "  I  set 
down  the  arrival  of  the  Scud  as  one  circumstance,  and  the 
chances  of  Eau-douce's  honesty  as  another.  This  Jasper  is 
a  young  man  of  prudence,  you  find,  for  he  keeps  a  good  off* 


408  THE    PATHFINDER. 

ing,  and  seems  determined  to  know  how  matters  stand  on  the 
island,  before  he  ventures  to  bring  up." 

"  I  have  it — I  have  it," — exclaimed  Pathfinder  with  exult 
ation, — "  there  lies  the  canoe  of  the  Sarpent,  on  the  cutter's 
deck,  and  the  chief  has  got  on  board,  and  no  doubt  has  given 
a  fcrue  account  of  our  condition ;  for,  unlike  a  Mingo,  a  De 
laware  is  sartain  to  get  a  story  right,  or  to  hold  his  tongue." 

Pathfinder's  disposition  to  think  well  of  the  Delawares,  and 
to  think  ill  of  the  Mingos,  must,  by  this  time,  be  very  appa 
rent  to  the  reader.  Of  the  veracity  of  the  former  he  enter 
tained  the  highest  respect,  while  of  the  latter  he  thought,  as 
the  more  observant  and  intelligent  classes  of  this  country  are 
getting  pretty  generally  to  think  of  certain  scribblers  among 
ourselves,  who  are  known  to  have  been  so  long  in  the  habits 
of  mendacity,  that  it  is  thought  they  can  no  longer  tell  the 
truth,  even  when  they  seriously  make  the  effort. 

"  That  canoe  may  not  belong  to  the  cutter,"  said  the  cap 
tious  seaman — "  Oh !  Deuce  had  one  on  board,  when  we 
sailed." 

"  Very  true,  friend  Cap ,  but,  if  you  know  your  sails  and 
masts,  by  your  goars  and  fishes,  I  know  my  canoes  and  my 
paths,  by  frontier  knowledge.  If  you  can  see  new  cloth  in 
a  sail,  I  can  see  new  bark  in  a  canoe.  That  is  the  boat  of 
the  Sarpent,  and  the  noble  fellow  has  struck  off  for  the  garri 
son,  as  soon  as  he  found  the  block  besieged,  has  fallen  in 
with  the  Scud,  and,  after  telling  his  story,  has  brought  the 
cutter  down  here  to  see  what  can  be  done.  The  Lord  grant 
that  Jasper  Western  be  still  on  board  her !" 

"  Yes — yes — it  might  not  be  amiss  ;  for,  traitor  or  loyal,  the 
lad  has  a  handy  way  with  him,  in  a  gale,  it  must  be  owned." 

"  And  in  coming  over  water-falls !"  said  Pathfinder,  nudg 
ing  the  ribs  of  his  companion  with  an  elbow,  and  laughing  in 
his  silent  but  hearty  manner.  "  We  will  give  the  boy  his 
due,  though  he  scalps  us  all  with  his  own  hand!" 

The  Scud  was  now  so  near,  that  Cap  made  no  reply.  The 
scene,  just  at  that  instant,  was  so  peculiar  that  it  merits  a 
particular  description ;  which  may  also  aid  the  reader  in 
forming  a  more  accurate  nature  of  the  picture  we  wish  to 
draw. 

The  gale  was  still  blowing  violently :  many  of  the  smallei 
trees  bowed  their  tops,  as  if  ready  to  descend  to  the  earth, 


THE    PATHFINDER.  409 

while  the  rushing  of  the  wind  through  the  branches  of  the 
groves,  resembled  the  roar  of  distant  chariots. 

The  air  was  filled  with  leaves,  which,  at  that  late  season, 
were  readily  driven  from  their  stems,  and  flew  from  island  to 
island,  like  flights  of  birds.  With  this  exception,  the  spot 
seemed  silent  as  the  grave.  That  the  savages  still  remained, 
was  to  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  their  canoes,  together 
with  the  boats  of  the  55th,  lay  in  a  group,  in  the  little  cove, 
that  had  been  selected  as  a  harbour.  Otherwise,  not  a  sign 
of  their  presence  was  to  be  detected.  Though  taken  entirely 
by  surprise  by  the  cutter,  the  sudden  return  of  which  was 
altogether  unlocked  for,  so  uniform  and  inbred  were  their 
habits  of  caution  while  on  the  war-path,  that,  the  instant  an 
alarm  was  given,  every  man  had  taken  to  his  cover,  with  the 
instinct  and  cunning  of  a  fox  seeking  his  hole.  The  same 
stillness  reigned  in  the  block-house,  for  though  Pathfinder 
and  Cap  could  command  a  view  of  the  channel,  they  took 
the  precaution  necessary  to  lie  concealed.  The  unusual 
absence  of  any  thing  like  animal  life  on  board  the  Scud, 
too,  was  still  more  remarkable.  As  the  Indians  witnessed 
her  apparently  undirected  movements,  a  feeling  of  awe  gain 
ed  a  footing  among  them,  and  some  of  the  boldest  of  their 
party  began  to  distrust  the  issue  of  an  expedition  that  had 
commenced  so  prosperously  Even  Arrowhead,  accustomed 
as  he  was  to  intercourse  with  the  whites  on  both  sides  of  the 
lakes,  fancied  there  was  something  ominous  in  the  appear 
ance  of  this  unmanned  vessel,  and  he  would  gladly,  at  that 
moment,  have  been  landed  again  on  the  main. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  progress  of  the  cutter  was  steady 
and  rapid.  She  held  her  way  mid-channel,  now  inclining 
to  the  gusts,  and  now  rising  again,  like  the  philosopher  that 
bends  to  the  calamities  of  life  to  resume  his  erect  attitude  as 
they  pass  away,  but  always  piling  the  water  beneath  her 
bows,  in  foam.  Although  she  was  under  so  very  short  can 
vass,  her  velocity  was  great,  and  there  could  not  have  elapsed 
ten  minutes  between  the  time  when  her  sails  were  first  seen 
glancing  past  the  trees  and  bushes  in  the  distance,  and  the 
moment  when  she  was  abreast  of  the  block-house.  Cap  and 
Pathfinder  leaned  forward,  as  the  cutter  came  beneath  their 
eyrie,  eager  to  get  a  better  view  of  her  deck,  when  to  the 
delight  of  both,  Jasper  Eau-douce  sprang  upon  his  feet,  and 
35 


410  THE    PATHFINDER. 

gave  three  hearty  cheers.  Regardless  of  all  risk,  Cap  leaped 
upon  the  rampart  of  logs,  and  returned  the  greeting,  cheer 
for  cheer.  Happily,  the  policy  of  the  enemy  saved  tho 
latter,  for  they  still  lay  quiet,  not  a  rifle  being  discharged. 
On  the  other  hand,  Pathfinder  kept  in  view  the  useful,  utterly 
disregarding  the  mere  dramatic  part  of  warfare.  The  mo 
ment  he  beheld  his  friend  Jasper,  he  called  out  to  him  with 
stentorian  lungs — 

"  Stand  by  us,  lad,  and  the  day's  our  own  !  Give  'em  a 
grist  in  yonder  bushes,  and  you  '11  put  'em  up  like  partridges." 

Part  of  this  reached  Jasper's  ears,  but  most  was  borne  off 
to  leeward,  on  the  wings  of  the  wind.  By  the  time  this  was 
said  the  Scud  had  driven  past,  and  in  the  next  moment  she 
was  hid  from  view,  by  the  grove  in  which  the  block-house 
was  partially  concealed. 

Two  anxious  minutes  succeeded,  but,  at  the  expiration  of 
that  brief  space,  the  sails  were  again  gleaming  through  the 
trees,  Jasper  having  wore,  jibed,  and  hauled  up  under  the 
lee  of  the  island,  on  the  other  tack.  The  wind  was  free 
enough,  as  has  been  already  explained,  to  admit  of  this  ma 
noeuvre,  and  the  cutter  catching  the  current  under  her  lee 
bow,  was  breasted  up  to  her  course  in  a  way  that  showed 
she  would  come  out  to  windward  of  the  island  again,  without 
any  difficulty.  This  whole  evolution  was  made  with  the 
greatest  facility,  not  a  sheet  being  touched,  the  sails  trimming 
themselves,  the  rudder  alone  controlling  the  admirable  ma 
chine.  The  object  appeared  to  be  a  reconnoissance.  When, 
however,  the  Scud  had  made  the  circuit  of  the  entire  island, 
and  had  again  got  her  weatherly  position,  in  the  channel  by 
which  she  had  first  approached,  her  helm  was  put  down,  and 
she  tacked.  The  noise  of  the  mainsail  flapping  when  it  filled, 
close  reefed  as  it  was,  sounded  like  the  report  of  a  gun,  and 
Cap  trembled  lest  the  seams  should  open. 

"  His  Majesty  gives  good  canvass,  it  must  be  owned,"  mut 
tered  the  old  seaman  ;  "and  it  must  be  owned,  too,  that  boy 

handles  his  boat  as  if  he  were  thoroughly  bred !  D e, 

Master  Pathfinder,  if  I  believe,  after  all  that  has  been  re 
ported  in  the  matter,  that  this  Mister  Oh  !  Deuce  got  his  trade 
on  this  bit  of  fresh-water." 

t*  He  did  ;  yes  he  did.  He  never  saw  the  ocean,  and  has 
pome  by  his  calling  altogether  up  here  on  Ontario.  I  have 


THE    PATHFINDER.  411 

often  thought  he  has  a  nat'ral  gift,  in  the  way  of  schooners 
and  sloops,  and  have  respected  him  accordingly.  As  for 
treason,  and  lying,  and  black-hearted  vices,  friend  Cap,  Jas 
per  Western  is  as  free  as  the  most  virtuousest  of  the  Dela 
ware  warriors ;  and  if  you  crave  to  see  a  truly  honest  man, 
you  must  go  among  that  tribe  to  discover  him." 

**  There  he  comes  round  !"  exclaimed  the  delighted  Cap, 
the  Scud  at  this  moment  filling  on  her  original  tack,  "  and 
now  we  shall  see  what  the  boy  would  be  at ;  he  cannot 
mean  to  keep  running  up  and  down  these  passages,  like  a 
girl  footing  it  through  a  country-dance !" 

The  Scud  now  kept  so  much  away  that,  for  a  moment,  the 
two  observers  on  the  block-house  feared  Jasper  meant  to 
come-to ;  and  the  savages,  in  their  lairs,  gleamed  out  upon 
her  with  the  sort  of  exultation  that  the  crouching  tiger  may 
be  supposed  to  feel,  as  he  sees  his  unconscious  victim  ap 
proach  his  bed.  But  Jasper  had  no  such  intention.  Fami 
liar  with  the  shore,  and  acquainted  with  the  depth  of  water 
on  every  part  of  the  island,  he  well  knew  that  the  Scud 
might  be  run  against  the  bank  with  impunity,  and  he  ven 
tured  fearlessly  so  near,  that  as  he  passed  through  the  little 
cove,  he  swept  the  two  boats  of  the  soldiers  from  their  fasten 
ings,  and  forced  them  out  into  the  channel,  towing  them 
with  the  cutter.  As  all  the  canoes  were  fastened  to  the  two 
Durham  boats,  by  this  bold  and  successful  attempt,  the  sav 
ages  were  at  once  deprived  of  the  means  of  quitting  the 
island,  unless  by  swimming,  and  they  appeared  to  be  instantly 
aware  of  the  very  important  fact.  Rising  in  a  body,  they 
filled  the  air  with  yells,  and  poured  in  a  harmless  fire. 
While  up  in  this  unguarded  manner  two  rifles  were  dis 
charged  by  their  adversaries.  One  came  from  the  summit 
of  the  block,  and  an  Iroquois  (ell  dead  in  his  tracks,  shot 
through  the  brain.  The  other  came  from  the  Scud.  The 
last  was  the  piece  of  the  Delaware,  but,  less  true  than  that 
of  his  friend,  it  only  maimed  an  enemy  for  life.  The  people 
of  the  Scud  shouted,  and  the  savages  sunk  again,  to  a  man, 
as  if  it  might  be  into  the  earth. 

"  That  was  the  Sarpent's  voice,"  said  Pathfinder,  as  soon 
as  the  second  piece  was  discharged.     "  I  know  the  crack  of 
his  rifle  as  well  as  I  do  that  of  Killdeer.     'Tis  a  good  bar 
rel,  though  not  sartain  death.     Well — well — with  Chingach 
15* 


412  THE    PATHFINDER. 

gook  and  Jasper  on  the  water,  and  you  and  I  in  the  block, 
friend  Cap,  it  will  be  hard  if  we  don't  teach  these  Minge 
scamps  the  rationality  of  a  fight !" 

All  this  time,  the  Scud  was  in  motion.  As  soon  as  she 
had  reached  the  end  of  the  island,  Jasper  sent  his  prizes 
adrift;  and  they  went  down  before  the  wind,  until  they 
stranded  on  a  point  half  a  mile  to  leeward.  He  then  wore, 
and  came  stemming  the  current  again,  through  the  other  pas 
sage.  Those  on  the  summit  of  the  block  could  now  perceive 
that  something  was  in  agitation  on  the  deck  of  the  Scud ; 
and,  to  their  great  delight,  just  as  the  cutter  came  abreast  of 
the  principal  cove,  on  the  spot  where  most  of  the  enemy  lay, 
the  howitzer,  which  composed  her  sole  armament,  was  un 
masked,  and  a  shower  of  case-shot  was  sent  hissing  into  the 
bushes.  A  bevy  of  quail  would  not  have  risen  quicker 
than  this  unexpected  discharge  of  iron  hail  put  up  the  Iro- 
quois ;  when  a  second  savage  fell  by  a  messenger  sent  from 
Killdeer,  and  another  went  limping  away,  by  a  visit  from  the 
rifle  of  Chingachgook.  New  covers  were  immediately  found, 
however ;  and  each  party  seemed  to  prepare  for  the  renewal 
of  the  strife  in  another  form.  But  the  appearance  of  June, 
bearing  a  white  flag,  and  accompanied  by  the  French  officer 
and  Muir,  stayed  the  hands  of  all,  and  was  the  forerunner  of 
another  parley. 

The  negotiation  that  followed  was  held  beneath  the  block 
house  ;  and  so  near  it,  as  at  once  to  put  those  who  were  un 
covered  completely  at  the  mercy  of  Pathfinder's  unerring 
aim.  Jasper  anchored  directly  abeam ;  and  the  howitzer, 
too,  was  kept  trained  upon  the  negotiators :  so  that  the  be 
sieged  and  their  friends,  with  the  exception  of  the  man  who 
held  the  match,  had  no  hesitation  about  exposing  their  per 
sons.  Chingachgook  alone  lay  in  ambush  ;  more,  however, 
from  habit  than  distrust. 

"  You  've  triumphed,  Pathfinder ;"  called  out  the  Quarter- 
Master,  "and  Captain  Sanglier  has  come  himself  to  offer 
terms.  You  '11  no  be  denying  a  brave  enemy  an  honourable 
retreat,  when  he  has  fought  ye  fairly,  and  done  all  the  credit 
he  could  to  king  and  country.  Ye  are  too  loyal  a  subject, 
yourself,  to  visit  loyalty  and  fidelity  with  a  heavy  judgment, 
I  am  authorized  to  offer,  on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  an  evacu 
ation  of  the  island,  a  mutual  exchange  of  prisoners  and  a 


THE    PATHFINDER.  413 

restoration  of  scalps.  In  the  absence  of  baggage  and  artil 
lery,  little  more  can  be  done." 

As  the  conversation  was  necessarily  carried  on  in  a  high 
key,  both  on  account  of  the  wind,  and  on  account  of  the  dis 
tance,  all  that  was  said  was  heard  equally  by  those  in  the 
block,  and  those  in  the  cutter. 

"  What  do  you  say  to  that,  Jasper?"  called  out  Pathfinder. 
"  You  hear  the  proposal :  shall  we  let  the  vagabonds  go ;  or 
shall  we  mark  them,  as  they  mark  their  sheep  in  the  settle 
ments,  that  we  may  know  them  again  ?" 

"What  has  befallen  Mabel  Dunham?"  demanded  the 
young  man,  with  a  frown  on  his  handsome  face,  that  was 
visible  even  to  those  in  the  block.  "  If  a  hair  of  her  head 
has  been  touched,  it  will  go  hard  with  the  whole  Iroquois 
tribe !" 

"  Nay,  nay,  she  is  safe  below,  nursing  a  dying  parent,  as 
becomes  her  sex.  We  owe  no  grudge  on  account  of  the  ser- 
jeant's  hurt,  which  comes  of  lawful  warfare ;  and  as  for  Ma 
bel " 

"  She  is  here,"  exclaimed  the  girl,  herself,  who  had  mount 
ed  to  the  roof  the  moment  she  found  the  direction  things 
were  taking.  "  She  is  here ;  and,  in  the  name  of  our  holy 
religion,  and  of  that  God  whom  we  profess  to  worship  in 
common,  let  there  be  no  more  bloodshed !  Enough  has  been 
spilt  already;  and  if  these  men  will  go  away,  Pathfinder — 
if  they  will  depart  peaceably,  Jasper — oh!  do  not  detain  one 
of  them.  My  poor  father  is  approaching  his  end,  and  it 
were  better  that  he  should  draw  his  last  breath  in  peace  with 
the  world.  Go,  go,  Frenchmen  and  Indians ;  we  are  no 
longer  your  enemies,  and  will  harm  none  of  you." 

"  Tut,  tut,  Magnet,"  put  in  Cap,  "  this  sounds  religious, 
perhaps,  or  like  a  book  of  poetry ;  but  it  does  not  sound  like 
common  sense.  The  enemy  is  just  ready  to  strike ;  Jasper 
is  anchored  with  his  broadside  to  bear,  and,  no  doubt,  with 
springs  on  his  cables ;  Pathfinder's  eye  and  hand  are  as  true 
as  the  needle ;  and  we  shall  get  prize-money,  head-money, 
and  honour  in  the  bargain,  if  you  will  not  interfere  for  the 
next  half-hour." 

"  Well,"  said  Pathfinder,  "  I  incline  to  Mabel's  way  of 
thinking.  There  has  been  enough  blood  shed  to  answer  our 
purpose,  and  to  sarve  the  king ;  and  as  for  honour,  in  that 
35* 


114  THE    PATHFINDER. 

•Tieaning,  it  will  do  better  for  young  ensigns  and  recruits,  than 
for  cool-headed,  obsarvant,  Christian  men.  There  is  honour 
in  doing  what's  right,  and  unhonour  in  doing  what's  wrong; 
and  I  think  it  wrong  to  take  the  life,  even  of  a  Mingo,  with 
out  a  useful  end  in  view,  I  do ;  and  right  to  hear  reason  at 
all  times.  So,  Lieutenant  Muir,  let  us  know  what  your 
friends,  the  Frenchers  and  Indians  have  to  say  for  themselves." 

"  My  friends  !"  said  Muir,  starting.  '*  You  '11  no  be  calling 
the  king's  enemies  my  friends,  Pathfinder,  because  the  for 
tune  of  war  has  thrown  me  into  their  hands  1  Some  of  the 
greatest  warriors,  both  of  ancient  and  modern  times,  have 
been  prisoners  of  war ;  and  yon  is  Master  Cap,  who  can  tes 
tify  whether  we  did  not  do  all. that  men  could  devise  to  escape 
the  calamity." 

"  Ay — ay,"  drily  answered  Cap, — "  escape  is  the  proper 
word.  We  ran  below  and  hid  ourselves,  and  so  discreetly, 
that  we  might  have  remained  in  the  hole  to  this  hour,  had  it 
not  been  for  the  necessity  of  re-stowing  the  bread  lockers. 
You  burrowed  on  that  occasion,  Quarter-Master,  as  handily 

as  a  fox ;  and  how  the  d 1  you  knew  so  well  where  to  find 

the  spot,  is  a  matter  of  wonder  to  me.  A  regular  skulk  on 
board  ship,  does  not  trail  aft  more  readily,  when  the  jib  is  to 
be  stowed,  than  you  went  into  that  same  hole !" 

"  And  did  ye  no  follow?  There  are  moments  in  a  man's 
life  when  reason  ascends  to  instinct — " 

"And  men  descend  into  holes,"  interrupted  Cap,  laughing 
in  his  boisterous  way,  while  Pathfinder  chuned  in,  in  his 
peculiar  manner.  Even  Jasper,  though  still  filled  with  con 
cern  for  Mabel,  was  obliged  to  smile.  "  They  say  the  d 1 

wouldn't  make  a  sailor  if  he  didn't  look  aloft,  and  now  it 
seems  he  'II  not  make  a  soldier  if  he  doesn't  look  below !" 

This  burst  of  merriment,  though  it  was  any  thing  but 
agreeable  to  Muir,  contributed  largely  towards  keeping  the 
peace.  Cap  fancied  he  had  said  a  thing  much  better  than 
common,  and  that  disposed  him  to  yield  his  ^wn  opinion  on 
the  main  point,  so  long  as  he  got  the  good  opinion  of  his 
companions  on  his  novel  claim  to  be  a  wit.  After  a  short 
discussion,  all  the  savages  on  the  island  were  collected  in  a 
body,  without  arms,  at  the  distance  of  a  hundied  yards  from 
the  block,  and.  under  the  gun  of  the  Scud,  while  Pathfinder 
descended  .o  the  door  of  the  block-house,  and  settled  the 


THE    PATHFINDER.  415 

terms  on  which  the  island  was  to  be  finally  evacuated  by  tht 
enemy.  Considering  all  the  circumstances,  the  conditions 
were  not  very  discreditable  to  either  party.  The  Indians 
were  compelled  to  give  up  all  their  arms,  even  to  their  knives 
and  tomahawks,  as  a  measure  of  precaution,  their  force  being 
still  quadruple  that  of  their  foes.  The  French  officer,  Mon 
sieur  Sanglier,  as  he  was  usually  styled,  and  chose  to  call 
himself,  remonstrated  against  this  act,  as  one  likely  to  reflect 
more  discredit  on  his  command  than  any  other  part  of  the 
affair  ,•  but  Pathfinder,  who  had  witnessed  one  or  two  Indian 
massacres,  and  knew  how  valueless  pledges  became  when  put 
in  opposition  to  interest,  where  a  savage  was  concerned,  was 
obdurate.  The  second  stipulation  was  of  nearly  the  same 
importance.  It  compelled  Captain  Sanglier  to  give  up  all  his 
prisoners,  who  had  been  kept  well  guarded,  in  the  very  hole, 
or  cave,  in  which  Cap  and  Muir  had  taken  refuge.  When 
these  men  were  produced,  four  of  them  were  found  to  be  un 
hurt;  they  had  fallen  merely  to  save  their  lives,  a  common 
artifice  in  that  species  of  warfare,  and  of  the  remainder,  two 
were  so  slightly  injured  as  not  to  be  unfit  for  service.  As 
they  brought  their  muskets  with  them,  this  addition  to  his  force 
immediately  put  Pathfinder  at  his  ease,  for  having  collected 
all  the  arms  of  the  enemy  in  the  block-house,  he  directed 
these  men  to  take  possession  of  the  building,  stationing  a 
regular  sentinel  at  the  door.  The  remainder  of  the  soldiers 
were  dead,  the  badly  wounded  having  been  instantly  dis 
patched  in  order  to  obtain  the  much-coveted  scalps. 

As  soon  as  Jasper  was  made  acquainted  with  the  terms, 
and  the  preliminaries  had  been  so  far  observed  as  to  render  it 
safe  for  him  to  be  absent,  he  got  the  Scud  under  way,  and 
running  down  to  the  point  where  the  boats  had  stranded,  he 
took  them  in  tow  again,  and,  making  a  few  stretches,  brought 
them  into  the  leeward  passage.  Here  all  the  savages  instantly 
embarked,  when  Jasper  took  the  boats  in  tow  a  third  time, 
and  running  off*  before  the  wind,  he  soon  set  them  adrift, 
quite  a  mile  to  leeward  of  the  island.  The  Indians  were 
furnished  with  but  a  single  oar  in  each  boat  to  steer  with,  the 
young  sailor  well  knowing  that,  by  keeping  before  the  wind, 
they  would  land  on  the  shores  of  Canada  in  the  course  of 
the  morning. 

Captain  Sanglier,  Arrowhead,  and  June,  alone  remained! 


416  THE    PATHFINDER. 

when  this  disposition  had  been  made  of  the  rest  of  the  party; 
the  former  having  certain  papers  to  draw  up  and  sign  with 
Lieutenant  Muir,  who,  in  his  eyes,  possessed  the  virtues  which 
are  attached  to  a  commission,  and  the  latter  preferring,  for 
reasons  of  his  own,  not  to  depart  in  company  with  his  late 
friends,  the  Iroquois.  Canoes  were  retained,  for  the  departure 
of  these  three,  when  the  proper  moment  should  arrive. 

In  the  mean  time,  or  while  the  Scud  was  running  down 
with  the  boats  in  tow,  Pathfinder  and  Cap,  aided  by  proper 
assistants,  busied  themselves  with  preparing  a  breakfast ; 
most  of  the  party  not  having  eaten  for  four-and-twenty  hours. 
The  brief  space  that  passed  in  this  manner,  before  the  Scud 
came-to  again,  was  little  interrupted  by  discourse,  though 
Pathfinder  found  leisure  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  serjeant,  to  say 
a  few  friendly  words  to  Mabel,  and  to  give  such  directions  as 
he  thought  might  smooth  the  passage  of  the  dying  man.  As 
for  Mabel,  herself,  he  insisted  on  her  taking  some  light  re 
freshment,  and  there  no  longer  existing  any  motive  for  keep 
ing  it  there,  he  had  the  guard  removed  from  the  block,  in 
order  that  the  daughter  might  have  no  impediment  to  her 
attentions  to  her  father.  These  little  arrangements  completed, 
our  hero  returned  to  the  fire,  around  which  he  found  all  the 
remainder  of  the  party  assembled,  including  Jasper. 


CHAPTEE  XXVI. 

"  You  saw  but  sorrow  in  its  waning  form, 
A  working  sea  remaining  from  a  storm 
Where  now  the  weary  waves  roll  o'er  the  deep, 
And  faintly  murmur  ere  they  fall  asleep." 

DRYDEN. 

MEN  accustomed  to  a  warfare  like  that  we  have  been  de 
scribing,  are  not  apt  to  be  much  under  the  influence  of  the 
tender  feelings,  while  still  in  the  field.  Notwithstanding  their 
habits,  however,  more  than  one  heart  was  with  Mabel  in  the 
block,  while  the  incidents  we  are  about  to  relate  were  in  the 
course  of  occurrence,  and  even  the  indispensable  meal  was 


THE    PATHFINDER.  417 

less  relished  by  the  hardiest  of  the  soldiers,  than  it  might 
have  been  had  not  the  serjeant  been  so  near  his  end. 

As  Pathfinder  returned  from  the  block,  he  was  met  by 
Muir,  who  led  him  aside  in  order  to  hold  a  private  discourse. 
The  manner  of  the  Quarter-Master  had  that  air  of  supere 
rogatory  courtesy  about  it,  which  almost  invariably  denotes 
artifice;  for,  while  physiognomy  and  phrenology  are  but  lame 
sciences  at  the  best,  and  perhaps  lead  to  as  many  false  as 
right  conclusions,  we  hold  that  there  is  no  more  infallible  evi 
dence  of  insincerity  of  purpose,  short  of  overt  acts,  than  a 
face  that  smiles  when  there  is  no  occasion,  and  the  tongue 
that  is  out  of  measure  smooth.  Muir  had  much  of  this 
manner  in  common,  mingled  with  an  apparent  frankness, 
that  his  Scottish  intonation  of  voice,  Scottish  accent,  and 
Scottish  modes  of  expression,  were  singularly  adapted  to  sus 
tain.  He  owed  his  preferment,  indeed,  to  a  long-exercised 
deference  to  Lundie  and  his  family;  for,  while  the  Major  him 
self  was  much  too  acute  to  be  the  dupe  of  one  so  much  his 
inferior  in  real  talents  and  attainments,  most  persons  are 
accustomed  to  make  liberal  concessions  to  the  flatterer,  even 
while  they  distrust  his  truth,  and  are  perfectly  aware  of  his 
motives.  On  the  present  occasion,  the  contest  in  skill  was 
between  two  men  as  completely  the  opposites  of  each  other, 
in  all  the  leading  essentials  of  character,  as  very  well  could 
be.  Pathfinder  was  as  simple,  as  the  Quarter-Master  wa* 
practised ;  he  was  as  sincere  as  the  other  was  false,  and  a* 
direct  as  the  last  was  tortuous.  Both  were  cool  and  calcu 
lating,  and  both  were  brave,  though  in  different  modes  and 
degrees ;  Muir  never  exposing  his  person  except  for  effect, 
while  the  guide  included  fear  among  the  rational  passions,  or 
as  a  sensation  to  be  deferred  to  only  when  good  might  come 
of  it. 

"My  dearest  friend,"  Muir  commenced,  "for  ye '11  be 
dearer  to  us  all,  by  seventy  and  seven-fold,  after  your  late 
conduct,  than  ever  ye  were,  ye've  just  established  yourself, 
in  this  late  transaction  !  It  ;s  true,  that  they  'II  not  be  making 
ye  a  commissioned  officer,  for  that  species  of  prefairment  is 
not  much  in  your  line,  nor  much  in  your  wishes,  I  'm  think 
ing  ;  but  as  a  guide,  and  a  counsellor,  and  a  loyal  subject, 
and  Rn  expert  marksman,  yer'  renown  may  be  said  to  be 
full.  I  doubt  if  the  commander-in-chief  will  carry  away 


418  THE  PATHFINDER. 

with  him  from  America,  as  much  credit  as  will  fall  to  yer' 
share,  and  ye  ought  just  to  sit  down  in  content,  and  enjoy 
yourself  for  the  remainder  of  yer'  days.  Get  married,  man, 
without  delay,  and  look  to  your  precious  happiness,  for  ye  Ve 
no  occasion  to  look  any  longer  to  your  glory.  Take  Mabel 
Dunham,  for  Heaven's  sake,  to  your  bosom,  rod  ye  Ml  havo 
both  a  bonny  bride,  and  a  bonny  reputation." 

"  Why,  Quarter-Master,  this  is  a  new  piecj  of  advice  to 
come  from  your  mouth  ! — They  've  told  me  I  had  a  rival  in 
you  !" 

"  And  ye  had,  man ;  and  a  formidable  one,  too,  I  can  tell 
ye !  One  that  has  never  yet  courted  in  vain,  arid  yet  one  that 
has  courted  five  times.  Lundie  twits  me  with  four,  and  I 
deny  the  charge ;  but  he  little  thinks  the  truth  would  outdo 
even  his  arithmetic  !  Yes,  yes  ;  ye  had  a  ri"il,  Pathfinder, 
but  ye  Ve  one  no  longer  in  me.  Ye  Ve  my  hearty  wishes 
for  yer'  sucess  with  Mabel,  and  were  the  Lonest  serjeant 
likely  to  survive,  ye  might  rely  on  my  good  word  with  him, 
too,  for  a  certainty." 

"  I  feel  your  friendship,  Quarter-Master,  I  feel  your  friend 
ship,  though  I  have  no  great  need  of  any  favour  with  Serjeant 
Dunham,  who  has  long  been  my  friend.  I  believe  we  may 
look  upon  the  matter  to  be  as  sartain  as  most  things  in  war 
time;  for  Mabel  and  her  father  consenting,  Ce  whole  55th 
couldn't  very  well  put  a  stop  to  it.  Ah's  me !  the  poor 
father  will  scarcely  live  to  see  what  his  heait  has  so  long 
been  set  upon !" 

"  But  he  '11  have  the  consolation  of  knowing  it  will  come  to 
pass,  in  dying.  Oh  !  it 's  a  great  relief,  Pathfinder,  for  the 
parting  spirit  to  feel  certain  that  the  beloved  ones  left  behind, 
will  be  well  provided  for,  after  its  departure.  All  the  Mis 
tress  Muirs  have  duly  expressed  that  sentiment,  with  their 
dying  breaths." 

"  All  your  wives,  Quarter-Master,  have  been  likely  to  feel 
this  consolation !" 

"  Out  upon  ye,  man, — I  'd  no  thought  ye  such  a  wag  * 
Well,  well;  pleasant  words  make  no  heart-bumings  between 
auld  fri'nds.  If  I  cannot  espouse  Mabel,  ye  '1.1  no  object  to 
my  esteeming  her,  and  speaking  well  of  her,  and  of  yoursal', 
too,  on  all  suitable  occasions,  and  in  all  companies.  But, 
Pathfinder,  ye  '11  easily  understan'  that  a  poor  deevil,  who 


THE  PATHFINDER.  419 

loses  such  a  bride,  will  probably  stand  in  need  of  some  con 
solation  ?" 

"  Quite  likely — quite  likely,  Quarter-Master,"  returned  the 
simple-minded  guide ;  "  I  know  the  loss  of  Mabel  would  be 
found  heavy  to  be  borne  by  myself.  It  may  bear  hard  on 
your  feelings  to  see  us  married,  but  the  death  of  the  sarjeant 
will  be  likely  to  put  it  off,  and  you  '11  have  time  to  think  more 
manfully  of  it,  you  will." 

"I'll  bear  up  against  it — yes,  I'll  bear  up  against  it, 
though  my  heart-strings  crack;  and  ye  might  help  me,  man, 
by  giving  me  something  to  do.  Ye  '11  understand  that  this 
expedition  has  been  of  a  very  peculiar  nature,  for  here  am  I, 
bearing  the  king's  commission,  just  a  volunteer,  as  it  might 
be ;  while  a  mere  orderly  has  had  the  command.  I  've  sub 
mitted  for  various  reasons,  though  my  blood  has  boiled  to  be 
in  authority,  while  ye  war'  battling  for  the  honour  of  the 
country,  and  his  Majesty's  rights — " 

"  Quarter-Master,"  interrupted  the  guide,  "  you  fell  so 
early  into  the  enemy's  hands,  that  your  conscience  ought  to 
be  easily  satisfied  on  that  score ;  so  take  my  advice,  and  say 
nothing  about  it." 

41  That 's  just  my  opinion,  Pathfinder  ;  we  '11  all  say  nothing 
about  it.  Serjeant  Dunham  is  hors-de-combat — " 

"  Anan  !"  said  the  guide. 

"  Why  the  serjeant  can  command  no  longer,  and  it  will 
hardly  do  to  leave  a  corporal  at  the  head  of  a  victorious 
party,  like  this ;  for  flowers  that  will  bloom  in  a  garden  will 
die  on  a  heath ;  and  I  was  just  thinking  I  would  claim  the 
authority  that  "belongs  to  one  who  holds  a  lieutenant's  com 
mission.  As  for  the  men,  they  '11  no  dare  to  raise  any  ob- 
jaction,  and  as  for  yoursal',  my  dear  friend,  now  that  ye've 
so  much  honour,  and  Mabel,  and  the  consciousness  of  having 
done  yer'  duty,  which  is  more  precious  than  all,  I  expect 
to  find  an  ally  rather  than  one  to  oppose  the  plan." 

"  As  for  commanding  the  soldiers  of  the  55th,  lieutenant, 
it  is  your  right,  I  suppose,  and  no  one  here  will  be  likely  to 
gainsay  it ;  though  you  've  been  a  prisoner  of  war,  and  there 
are  men  who  might  stand  out  ag'in  giving  up  their  authority 
to  a  prisoner  released  by  their  own  deeds.  Still  no  one  here 
will  be  likely  to  say  any  thing  hostile  to  your  wishes." 

•'  That 's  just  it,  Pathfinder ;  and  when  I  come  to  draw  up 


420  THE   PATHFINDER. 

the  report  of  our  success  against  the  boats,  and  the  defence 
of  the  block,  together  with  the  general  operations,  including 
the  capitulation,  ye  '11  no  find  any  omission  of  your  claims 
and  merits." 

"  Tut,  for  my  claims  and  merits,  Quarter-Master !  Lundie 
knows  what  I  am  in  the  forest,  and  what  I  am  in  the  fort ; 
and  the  general  knows  better  than  he.  No  fear  of  me ;  tell 
your  own  story,  only  taking  care  to  do  justice  by  Mabel's 
father,  who,  in  one  sense,  is  the  commanding  officer  at  this 
very  moment." 

Muir  expressed  his  entire  satisfaction  with  this  arrange 
ment,  as  well  as  his  determination  to  do  justice  by  all,  when 
the  two  went  to  the  group  that  was  assembled  round  the  fire. 
Here  the  Quarter-Master  began,  for  the  first  time  since  leav 
ing  Oswego,  to  assume  some  of  the  authority  that  might  pro- 
perly  be  supposed  to  belong  to  his  rank.  Taking  the  re 
maining  corporal  aside,  he  distinctly  told  that  functionary 
that  he  must  in  future  be  regarded  as  one  holding  the  king's 
commission,  and  directed  him  to  acquaint  his  subordinates 
with  the  new  state  of  things.  This  change  in  the  dynasty 
was  effected  without  any  of  the  usual  symptoms  of  a  revo 
lution  ;  for  as  all  well  understood  the  lieutenant's  legal  claims 
to  command,  no  one  felt  disposed  to  dispute  his  orders.  For 
reasons  best  known  to  themselves,  Lundie  and  the  Quarter- 
Master  had,  originally,  made  a  different  disposition,  and  now, 
for  reasons  of  his  own,  the  latter  had  seen  fit  to  change  it. 
This  was  reasoning  enough  for  soldiers,  though  the  hurt 
received  by  Serjeant  Dunham  would  have  sufficiently  ex 
plained  the  circumstance,  had  an  explanation  been  required. 

All  this  time  Captain  Sanglier  was  looking  after  his  own 
breakfast,  with  the  resignation  of  a  philosopher,  the  coolness 
of  a  veteran,  the  ingenuity  and  science  of  a  Frenchman,  and 
the  voracity  of  an  ostrich.  This  person  had  now  been  in  the 
colony  some  thirty  years,  having  left  France  in  some  such 
situation  in  his  own  army,  as  Muir  filled  in  the  55th. 
An  iron  constitution,  perfect  obduracy  of  feeling,  a  certain 
address  well  suited  to  manage  savages,  and  an  indomitable 
courage,  had  early  pointed  him  out  to  the  commander-in- 
chief,  as  a  suitable  agent  to  be  employed  in  directing  the 
military  operations  of  his  Indian  allies.  In  this  capacity, 
then,  he  had  rispn  to  the  titular  rank  of  captain,  and,  with 


THE  PATHFINDER.  4!<Jl 

his  promotion,  had  acquired  a  portion  of  the  habits  and 
opinions  of  his  associates,  with  a  facility  and  an  adaptation 
of  self,  that  are  thought,  in  this  part  of  the  world,  to  be  pe 
culiar  to  his  countrymen.  He  had  often  led  parties  of  the 
Iroquois  in  their  predatory  expeditions ;  and  his  conduct  on 
such  occasions  exhibited  the  contradictory  results  of  both 
alleviating  the  misery  produced  by  this  species  of  warfare, 
and  of  augmenting  it,  by  the  broader  views  and  greater  re 
sources  of  civilization.  In  other  words,  he  planned  enter 
prises  that,  in  their  importance  and  consequences,  much  ex 
ceeded  the  usual  policy  of  the  Indians,  and  then  stepped  in 
to  lessen  some  of  the  evils  of  his  own  creating.  In  short, 
he  was  an  adventurer  whom  circumstances  had  thrown  into 
a  situation,  where  the  callous  qualities  of  men  of  his  class 
might  readily  show  themselves,  for  good  or  for  evil ;  and  he 
was  not  of  a  character  to  baffle  fortune  by  any  ill-timed 
squeamishness  on  the  score  of  early  impressions,  or  to  trifle 
with  her  liberality,  by  unnecessarily  provoking  her  frowns 
through  wanton  cruelty.  Still,  as  his  name  was  unavoidably 
connected  with  many  of  the  excesses  committed  by  his  parties, 
he  was  generally  considered,  in  the  American  Provinces,  a 
wretch  who  delighted  in  bloodshed,  and  who  found  his  great 
est  happiness  in  tormenting  the  helpless  and  the  innocent ; 
and  the  name  of  Sanglier,  which  was  a  soubriquet  of  his 
own  adopting,  or  of  Flint  Heart,  as  he  was  usually  termed 
on  the  borders,  had  got  to  be  as  terrible  to  the  women  and 
children  of  that  part  of  the  country,  as  those  of  Butler  and 
Brandt  became  at  a  later  day. 

The  meeting  between  Pathfinder  and  Sanglier  bore  some 
resemblance  to  that  celebrated  interview  between  Wellington 
and  Blucher,  which  has  been  so  often  and  graphically  told. 
It  took  place  at  the  fire;  and  the  parties  stood  earnestly 
regarding  each  other  for  more  than  a  minute  without  speak 
ing.  Each  felt  that  in  the  other,  he  saw  a  formidable  foe  ; 
and  each  felt,  while  he  ought  to  treat  the  other  with  the 
manly  liberality  due  to  a  warrior,  that  there  was  little  in 
common  between  them,  in  the  way  of  character,  as  well  as 
of  interests.  One  served  for  money  and  preferment ;  the 
other,  because  his  life  had  been  cast  in  the  wilderness,  and 
the  land  of  his  birth  needed  his  arm  and  experience.  The 
desire  of  rising  above  his  present  situation,  never  disturbed 
36 


422  THE    PATHFINDER. 

the  tranquillity  of  Pathfinder  ;  nor  had  he  ever  known  an  am 
bitious  thought,  as  ambition  usually  betrays  itself,  until  he 
became  acquainted  with  Mabel.  Since  then,  indeed,  distrust 
of  himself,  reverence  for  her,  and  the  wish  to  place  her  in  a 
situation  above  that  which  he  then  filled,  had  caused  him  some 
uneasy  moments ;  but  the  directness  and  simplicity  of  his 
character  had  early  afforded  the  required  relief;  and  he  soon 
came  to  feel,  that  the  woman  who  would  not  hesitate  to  ac 
cept  him  for  her  husband,  would  not  scruple  to  share  his  for 
tunes,  however  humble.  He  respected  Sanglier  as  a  brave 
warrior;  and  he  had  far  too  much  of  that  liberality  which  is 
the  result  of  practical  knowledge,  to  believe  half  of  what  he 
had  heard  to  his  prejudice  ;  for  the  most  bigoted  and  illiberal 
on  every  subject,  are  usually  those  who  know  nothing  about 
it ;  but  he  could  not  approve  of  his  selfishness,  cold-blooded 
calculations,  and,  least  of  all,  of  the  manner  in  which  he  forgot 
his  "  white  gifts,"  to  adopt  those  that  were  purely  "  red.'* 
On  the  other  hand,  Pathfinder  was  a  riddle  to  Captain  Sang 
lier.  The  latter  could  not  comp/ehend  the  other's  motives ; 
he  had  often  heard  of  his  disinterestedness,  justice,  and  truth  ; 
and,  in  several  instances,  they  had  led  him  into  grave  errors, 
on  that  principle  by  which  a  frank  and  open-mouthed  diplo 
matist  is  said  to  keep  his  secrets  better  than  one  that  is  close- 
mouthed  and  wily. 

Ater  the  two  heroes  had  gazed  at  each  other,  in  the  man 
ner  mentioned,  Monsieur  Sanglier  touched  his  cap ;  for  the 
rudeness  of  a  border  life  had  not  entirely  destroyed  the  cour 
tesy  of  manner  he  had  acquired  in  youth,  nor  extinguished 
that  appearance  of  bonhommie  which  seems  inbred  in  a 
Frenchman. 

"  Monsieur  le  Pathfinder,"  he  said  with  a  very  decided  ac 
cent,  though  with  a  friendly  smile,  "  un  militaire  honour 
le  courage,  et  la  loyaute.  You  speak  Iroquois  ?" 

"  Ay,  I  understand  the  language  of  the  riptyles,  and  can 
get  along  with  it,  if  there's  occasion,"  returned  the  literal 
and  truth-telling  guide ;  "  but  it's  neither  a  tongue  nor  a  tribe 
to  my  taste.  Wherever  you  find  the  Mingo  blood,  in  my 
opinion,  Master  Flinty-heart,  you  find  a  knave.  Well,  I  Ve 
seen  you  often,  though  it  was  in  battle ;  and  I  must  say,  it 
was  always  in  the  van.  You  mtsi  know  most  of  our  bullets 
by  sight?" 


THE    PATHFINDER.  423 

"  Newair,  sair,  your  own  ;  une  balle  from  your  honoura 
ble  hand,  be  sairtaine  deat'.  You  kill  my  best  warrior  on 
some  island." 

"  That  may  be — that  may  be — though  I  dare  say,  if  the 
truth  was  known,  they  would  turn  out  to  be  great  rascals. 
No  offence  to  you,  Master  Flinty-heart,  but  you  keep  desper 
ate  evil  company." 

"  Yes,  sair,"  returned  the  Frenchman,  who,  bent  on  say 
ing  that  which  was  courteous,  himself, and  comprehending  with 
difficulty,  was  disposed  to  think  he  received  a  compliment — 
"you  too  good.  But,  un  brave  always  comme  cd.  What  that 
mean — ha  ! — what  that  jeune  homme  do  ?" 

The  hand  and  eye  of  Captain  Sanglier  directed  the  look 
of  Pathfinder  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  fire,  where  Jasper, 
just  at  that  moment,  had  been  rudely  seized  by  two  of  the 
soldiers,  who  were  binding  his  arms,  under  the  direction  of 
Muir. 

"  What  does  that  mean,  indeed  ?"  cried  the  guide,  step- 
ing  forward,  and  shoving  the  two  subordinates  away  with  a 
power  of  muscle  that  would  not  be  denied.  "  Who  has  the 
heart  to  do  this  to  Jasper  Eau-douce ;  and  who  has  the  bold 
ness  to  do  it  before  my  eyes  ?" 

"  It  is  by  my  orders,  Pathfinder,"  answered  the  Quarter- 
Master  ;  "  and  I  command  it  on  my  own  responsibility. 
Ye '11  no  tak'  on  yourself  to  dispute  the  legality  of  orders 
given  by  one  who  bears  the  king's  commission  to  the  king's 
soldiers  ?" 

"  I  'd  dispute  the  king's  words,  if  they  came  from  the 
king's  own  mouth,  did  he  say  that  Jasper  desarves  this. 
Has  not  the  lad  just  saved  all  our  scalps? — taken  us  from 
defeat,  and  given  us  victory  ?  No,  no,  Lieutenant ;  if  this 
is  the  first  use  that  you  make  of  your  authority,  I,  for  one, 
will  not  respect  it." 

"  This  savours  a  little  of  insubordination,"  answered  Muir  j 
"  b  j£  we  can  bear  much  from  Pathfinder.  It  is  true  this 
Jasper  has  seemed  to  serve  us  in  this  affair ;  but  we  ought 
not  to  overlook  past  transactions.  Did  not  Major  Duncan 
himself  denounce  him  to  Serjeant  Dunham,  before  we  left 
the  post  1  Have  we  not  seen  sufficient  with  our  own  eyes, 
.o  vnake  sure  of  having  been  betrayed?  And  is  it  not  natu 
ral,  and  almost  necessary,  to  believe  that  this  young  man 


424  THE    PATHFINDER. 

has  been  the  traitor?  Ah!  Pathfinder,  ye '11  no  be  making 
yourself  a  great  statesman,  or  a  great  captain,  if  you  put  too 
much  faith  in  appearances.  Lord  bless  me ! — Lord  bless 
me !  if  I  do  not  believe,  could  the  truth  be  come  at,  as 
you  often  say  yourself,  Pathfinder,  that  hypocrisy  is  a  more 
common  vice  than  even  envy ;  and  that 's  the  bane  o'  human 
nature." 

Captain  Sanglier  shrugged  his  shoulders  ;  then  he  looked 
earnestly  from  Jasper  towards  the  Quarter-Master,  and  from 
the  Quarter-Master  towards  Jasper. 

"  I  care  not  for  your  envy,  or  your  hypocrisy,  or  even  for 
your  human  natur',"  returned  Pathfinder.  "  Jasper  Eau- 
douce  is  my  friend ;  Jasper  Eau-douce  is  a  brave  lad,  and 
an  honest  lad,  and  a  loyal  lad ;  and  no  man  of  the  55th 
shall  lay  hands  on  him,  short  of  Lundie's  own  orders,  while 
I'm  in  the  way  to  prevent  it.  You  may  have  authority 
over  your  soldiers,  but  you  have  none  over  Jasper,  or  me, 
Master  Muir." 

"  Bon"  ejaculated  Sanglier ;  the  sound  partaking  equally 
of  the  energies  of  the  throat,  and  of  the  nose. 

"  Will  ye  no  hearken  to  reason,  Pathfinder  ?  Ye  '11  no  be 
forgetting  our  suspicions  and  judgments  ;  and  here  is  another 
circumstance  to  augment  and  aggravate  them  all.  Ye  can 
see  this  little  bit  of  bunting ;  well,  where  should  it  be  found, 
but  by  Mabel  Dunham,  on  the  branch  of  a  tree,  on  this  very 
island,  just  an  hour  or  so  before  the  attack  of  the  enemy  , 
and  if  ye  '11  be  at  the  trouble  to  look  at  the  fly  of  the  Scud't 
ensign,  ye  Ml  just  say  that  the  cloth  has  been  cut  from  out  it. 
Circumstantial  evidence  was  never  stronger." 

"  Mafoi,  Jest  un  pen  fort,  ceci  /"  growled  Sanglier,  be 
tween  his  teeth. 

"  Talk  to  me  of  no  ensigns,  and  signals,  when  I  know  the 
heart ;"  continued  the  Pathfinder.  "  Jasper  has  the  gift  of 
honesty ;  and  it  is  too  rare  a  gift  to  be  trifled  with,  like  a 
Mingo's  conscience.  No,  no;  off  hands,  or  we  shall  see 
which  can  make  the  stoutest  battle — you,  and  your  men  of 
the  55th,  or  the  Sarprnt,  here,  and  Killdeer,  with  Jasper  and 
his  crew.  You  overrate  your  force,  Lieutenant  Muir,  as 
much  as  you  underrate  Eau-douce's  truth." 

"  Trts  bon  /" 

"  Well,  if  I  must  speak  plainly,  Pathfinder,  I  e'en  must. 


THE    PATHFINDER.  425 

Captain  Sanglier,  here,  and  Arrowhead,  this  brave  Tusca- 
rora,  have  both  informed  me  that  this  unfortunate  boy  is  the 
traitor.  After  such  testimony,  you  can  no  longer  oppose  my 
right  to  correct  him,  as  well  as  the  necessity  of  the  act." 

"  Scelerat"  muttered  the  Frenchman. 

"  Captain  Sanglier  is  a  brave  soldier,  and  will  not  gainsay 
the  conduct  of  an  honest  sailor,"  put  in  Jasper.  "  Is  there 
any  traitor  here,  Captain  Flinty-heart  ?" 

"  Ay,"  added  Muir,  "  let  him  speak  out  then,  since  ye 
wish  it,  unhappy  youth  ;  that  the  truth  may  be  known.  I 
only  hope  that  ye  may  escape  the  last  punishment  when  a 
court  will  be  sitting  on  your  misdeeds.  How  is  it,  Captain  ; 
do  ye,  or  do  ye  not  see  a  traitor  amang  us?" 

"  Oui — yes,  sair — bien  sur." 

"  Too  much  lie" — said  Arrowhead,  in  a  voice  of  thunder, 
striking  the  breast  of  Muir,  with  the  back  of  his  own  hand, 
in  a  sort  of  ungovernable  gesture.  "  Where  my  warriors  ? 
— where  Yengeese  scalp? — Too  much  lie." 

Muir  wanted  not  for  personal  courage,  nor  for  a  certain 
sense  of  personal  honour.  The  violence  which  had  been 
intended  only  for  a  gesture,  he  mistook  for  a  blow ;  for  con 
science  was  suddenly  aroused  within  him ;  and  he  stepped 
back  a  pace,  extending  a  hand  towards  a  gun.  His  face  was 
livid  with  rage ;  and  his  countenance  expressed  the  fell  inten 
tion  of  his  heart.  But  Arrowhead  was  too  quick  for  him. 
With  a  wild  glance  of  the  eye,  the  Tuscarora  looked  about 
him  ;  then  thrust  a  hand  beneath  his  own  girdle,  drew  forth 
a  concealed  knife,  and,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  buried  it 
in  the  body  of  the  Quarter-Master  to  the  handle.  As  the  lat 
ter  fell  at  his  feet,  gazing  into  his  face  with  the  vacant  stare 
of  one  surprised  by  death,  Sanglier  took  a  pinch  of  snuff, 
and  said,  in  a  calm  voice  : — 

"  Voild  I' affaire  jinie — mais" — shrugging  his  shoulders, 
"  ce  n'est  qifun  scelerat  de  moins" 

The  act  was  too  sudden  to  be  prevented,  and  when  Arrow- 
head,  uttering  a  yell,  bounded  into  the  bushes,  the  white  men 
were  too  confounded  to  follow.  Chingachgook,  however, 
was  more  collected ;  and  the  bushes  had  scarcely  closed  on 
the  passing  body  of  the  Tuscarora,  than  they  .were  again 
opened  by  that  of  the  Delaware  in  full  pursuit. 
36  * 


426  THE    PATHFINDER. 

Jasper  Western  spoke  French  fluently,  and  the  words  and 
manner  of  Sanglier  struck  him. 

"  Speak,  Monsieur,"  he  said,  in  English,  "  am  I  the 
traitor  ?" 

"  Le  voild" — answered  the  cool  Frenchman, — "  dat  is  our 
cspion — our  agent — our  friend — ma.  foi — detail  un  grand 
scelerat — void." 

While  speaking,  Sanglier  bent  over  the  dead  body,  and 
thrust  a  hand  into  a  pocket  of  the  Quarter-Master,  out  of 
which  he  drew  a  purse.  Emptying  the  contents  on  the  ground, 
several  double-Louis  rolled  towards  the  soldiers,  who  were 
not  slow  in  picking  them  up.  Casting  the  purse  from  him, 
in  contempt,  the  soldier  of  fortune  turned  towards  the  soup 
he  had  been  preparing  with  so  much  care,  and  finding  it  to 
his  liking,  he  began  to  break  his  fast,  with  an  air  of  indiffer 
ence  that  the  most  stoical  Indian  warrior  might  have  envied. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

**  The  only  amaranthine  flower  on  earth 
Is  virtue  ;  th'  only  lasting  treasure,  truth." 

Cow  PER. 

THE  reader  must  imagine  some  of  the  occurrences, 
that  followed  the  sudden  death  of  Muir.  While  his  body 
was  in  the  hands  of  his  soldiers,  who  laid  it  decently  aside, 
and  covered  it  with  a  great-coat,  Chingachgook  silently  re 
sumed  his  place  at  the  fire,  and  both  Sanglier  and  Pathfinder 
remarked  that  he  carried  a  fresh  and  bleeding  scalp  at  hia 
girdle.  No  one  asked  any  questions,  and  the  former,  al 
though  perfectly  satisfied  that  Arrowhead  had  fallen,  mani 
fested  neither  curiosity  nor  feeling.  He  continued  calmly 
eating  his  soup,  as  if  the  meal  had  been  tranquil  as  usual. 
There  was  something  of  pride,  and  of  an  assumed  indiffer 
ence  to  fate,  imitated  from  the  Indians,  in  all  this ;  but  there 
was  more  that  really  resulted  from  practice,  habitual  self- 
command,  and  constitutional  hardihood.  With  Pathfinder 


THE    PATHFINDER.  427 

the  case  was  a  little  different  in  feeling,  though  much  tho 
same  in  appearance.  He  disliked  Muir,  whose  smooth 
tongued  courtesy  was  little  in  accordance  with  his  own  frank 
and  ingenuous  nature;  but  he  had  been  shocked  at  his  unex 
pected  and  violent  death,  though  accustomed  to  similar  scenes, 
and  he  had  been  surprised  at  the  exposure  of  his  treachery. 
With  a  view  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  the  latter,  as  soon  as 
the  body  was  removed,  he  began  to  question  the  captain  on 
the  subject.  The  latter  having  no  particular  motive  for  se- 
cresy,  now  that  his  agent  was  dead,  in  the  course  of  the 
breakfast  revealed  the  following  circumstances,  which  will 
serve  to  clear  up  some  of  the  minor  incidents  of  our  tale. 

Soon  after  the  55th  appeared  on  the  frontiers,  Muir  had 
volunteered  his  services  to  the  enemy.  In  making  his  of 
fers,  he  boasted  of  his  intimacy  with  Lundie,  and  of  the  means 
it  afforded  of  furnishing  more  accurate  and  important  inform 
ation  than  usual.  His  terms  had  been  accepted,  and  Mon 
sieur  Sanglier  had  several  interviews  with  him,  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  fort  at  Oswego,  and  had  actually  passed  one  entire 
night  secreted  in  the  garrison.  Arrowhead,  however,  was 
the  usual  channel  of  communication,  and  the  anonymous 
letter  to  Major  Duncan,  had  been  originally  written  by  Muir, 
transmitted  to  Frontenac,  copied,  and  sent  back  by  the  Tus- 
carora,  who  was  returning  from  that  errand  when  captured  by 
the  Scud.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  Jasper  was  to  be 
sacrificed,  in  order  to  conceal  the  Quarter-Master's  treason, 
and  that  the  position  of  the  island  had  been  betrayed  to 
the  enemy  by  the  latter.  An  extraordinary  compensation, 
that  which  was  found  in  his  purse,  had  induced  him  to  ac 
company  the  party  under  Serjeant  Dunham,  in  order  to  give 
the  signals  that  were  to  bring  on  the  attack.  The  disposition 
of  Muir  towards  the  sex,  was  a  natural  weakness,  and  he 
would  have  married  Mabel,  or  any  one  else,  who  would  ac 
cept  his  hand;  but  his  admiration  of  her  was  in  a  great  degree 
feigned,  in  order  that  he  might  have  an  excuse  for  accompa 
nying  the  party,  without  sharing  in  the  responsibility  of  its 
defeat,  or  incurring  the  risk  of  having  no  other  strong  and 
seemingly  sufficient  motive.  Much  of  this  was  known  to 
Captain  Sanglier,  particularly  the  part  in  connexion  with 
Mabel,  and  he  did  not  fail  to  let  his  auditors  into  the  whole 
secret,  frequently  laughing  in  a  sarcastic  manner,  as  he  re- 


428  THE    PATHFINDER. 

vealed  the  different  expedients  of  the  luckless  Quarter- 
Master. 

"  Touchez-la"  said  the  cold-blooded  partisan,  holding  out 
his  sinewy  hand  to  Pathfinder,  when  he  ended  his  explana 
tions — "  you  be  honnete,  and  dat  is  beaucoup.  We  tak'  do 
spy,  as  we  tak'  la  medicine,  for  de  good ;  mais,  je  les  de- 
testef  Touchez-la." 

"I'll  shake  your  hand,  captain,  T  will,  for  you're  a  law 
ful  and  nat'ral  inimy,"  returned  Pathfinder,  "and  a  manful 
one ;  but  the  body  of  the  Quarter-Master  shall  never  dis 
grace  English  ground.  I  did  intend  to  carry  it  back  to  Lun- 
die,  that  he  might  play  his  bagpipes  over  it ;  but  now  it  shall 
lie  here,  on  the  spot  where  he  acted  his  villany,  and  have 
his  own  treason  for  a  head-stone.  Captain  Flinty-Heart,  I 
suppose  this  consorting  with  traitors  is  a  part  of  a  soldierV 
regular  business ;  but,  I  tell  you  honestly,  it  is  not  to  my 
liking,  and  I'd  rather  it  should  be  you  than  I  who  had  this 
affair  on  his  conscience.  What  an  awful  sinner ! — To  plot, 
right  and  left,  ag'in  country,  friends  and  the  Lord  ! — Jasper, 
boy,  a  word  with  you,  aside,  for  a  single  minute." 

Pathfinder  now  led  the  young  man  apart,  and  squeezing 
his  hand,  with  the  tears  in  his  own  eyes,  he  continued — 

"  You  know  me,  Eau-douce,  and  I  know  you,"  he  said, 
"  and  this  news  has  not  changed  my  opinion  of  you,  in  any 
manner.  I  never  believed  their  tales,  though  it  looked  solemn 
at  one  minute,  I  will  own ;  yes,  it  did  look  solemn ;  and  it 
made  me  feel  solemn,  too.  I  never  suspected  you  for  a 
minute,  for  I  know  your  gifts  don't  lie  that-a-way ;  but,  I 
must  own,  I  didn't  suspect  the  Quarter-Master  neither." 

"  And  he  holding  His  Majesty's  commission,  Pathfinder !" 

"  It  isn't  so  much  that,  Jasper  Western ;  it  isn't  so  much 
that.  He  held  a  commission  from  God  to  act  right,  and  to 
deal  fairly  with  his  fellow-creatur's,  and  he  has  failed  aw- 
fully  in  his  duty  !" 

"  To  think  of  his  pretending  love  for  one  like  Mabel,  too, 
when  he  felt  none  !" 

"  That  was  bad,  sartainly ;  the  fellow  must  have  had 
Mingo  blood  in  his  veins.  The  man  that  deals  unfairly  by  a 
woman  can  be  but  a  mongrel,  lad ;  for  the  Lord  has  made 
them  helpless  on  purpose  that  we  may  gain  their  love  by 
kindness  and  sar vices.  Here  is  the  sarjeant,  poor  man,  on 


THE    PATHFINDER.  429 

his  dying  bed ;  he  has  given  me  his  daughter  for  a  wife,  and 
Mabel,  dear  girl,  she  has  consented  to  it ;  and  it  makes  me 
feel  that  I  have  two  welfares  to  look  after,  two  natur's  to  care 
for,  and  two  hearts  to  gladden.  Ah's  me !  Jasper ;  I  some 
times  feel  that  I  am  not  good  enough  for  that  sweet  child '" 

Eau-douce  had  nearly  gasped  for  breath  when  he  first 
heard  this  intelligence;  and,  though  he  succeeded  in  sup- 
pressing  any  other  outward  signs  of  agitation,  his  cheek  was 
blanched  nearly  to  the  paleness  of  death.  Still  he  found 
means  to  answer,  not  only  with  firmness,  but  with  energy — 

"  Say  not  so,  Pathfinder ;  you  aie  good  enough  for  a 
Queen." 

"  Ay,  ay,  boy,  according  to  your  idees  of  my  goodness  ; 
that  is  to  say — I  can  kill  a  deer,  or  even  a  Mingo  at  need, 
with  any  man  on  the  lines ;  or  I  can  follow  a  forest  path  with 
as  true  an  eye,  or  read  the  stars,  when  others  do  not  under 
stand  them.  No  doubt,  no  doubt,  Mabel  will  have  venison 
enough,  and  fish  enough,  and  pigeons  enough ;  but  will  she 
have  knowledge  enough,  and  will  she  have  idees  enough, 
and  pleasant  conversation  enough,  when  life  comes  to  drag  a 
little,  and  each  of  us  begins  to  pass  for  our  true  value  ?" 

"  If  you  pass  for  your  value,  Pathfinder,  the  greatest  lady 
in  the  land  would  be  happy  with  you.  On  that  head,  you 
have  no  reason  to  feel  afraid." 

"  Now,  Jasper,  I  dare  to  say  you  think  so — nay,  I  know 
you  do ;  for  it  is  nat'ral  and  according  to  friendship,  for  peo 
ple  to  look  over-favourably  at  them  they  love.  Yes,  yes ;  if 
I  had  to  marry  you,  boy,  I  should  give  myself  no  consarn 
about  my  being  well  looked  upon,  for  you  have  always  shown 
a  disposition  to  see  me  and  all  I  do  with  friendly  eyes.  But 
a  young  gal,  after  all,  must  wish  to  marry  a  man  that  is 
nearer  to  her  own  age  and  fancies,  than  to  have  one  old 
enough  to  be  her  father,  and  rude  enough  to  frighten  her. 
I  wonder,  Jasper,  that  Mabel  never  took  a  fancy  to  you,  now, 
rather  than  setting  her  mind  on  me  P 

"  Take  a  fancy  to  me,  Pathfinder !"  returned  the  young 
man,  endeavouring  to  clear  his  voice  without  betraying  him 
self — "  What  is  there  about  me,  to  please  such  a  girl  us 
Mabel  Dunham  ?  I  have  all  that  you  find  fault  with  in  your 
self,  with  none  of  that  excellence  that  makes  even  the  gen- 
»rals  respect  you." 


430  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"  Well — well — it 's  all  chance,  say  what  we  will  about  it. 
Here  have  I  journeyed  and  guided  through  the  woods,  female 
after  female,  and  consorted  with  them  in  the  garrisons,  and 
never  have  I  even  felt  an  inclination  for  any,  until  I  saw 
Mabel  Dunham.  It 's  true  the  poor  sarjeant  first  set  me  to 
thinking  about  his  daughter,  but  after  we  got  a  little  acquaint 
ed  like,  I  'd  no  need  of  being  spoken  to,  to  think  of  her  night 
and  day.  I  'm  tough,  Jasper ;  yes,  I  'm  very  tough ;  and 
I  'm  risolute  enough,  as  you  all  know  ;  and  yet  I  do  think  it 
would  quite  break  me  down,  now,  to  lose  Mabel  Dunham  !" 

"  We  will  talk  no  more  of  it,  Pathfinder,"  said  Jasper, 
returning  his  friend's  squeeze  of  the  hand,  and  moving  back 
towards  the  fire,  though  slowly  and  in  the  manner  of  one 
who  cared  little  where  he  went ;  "  we  will  talk  no  more  of 
it.  You  are  worthy  of  Mabel,  and  Mabel  is  worthy  of  you 
— you  like  Mabel,  and  Mabel  likes  you — her  father  has 
chosen  you  for  her  husband,  and  no  one  has  a  right  to  inter 
fere.  As  for  the  Quarter-Master,  his  feigning  love  for  Mabel, 
is  worse  even  than  his  treason  to  the  king !" 

By  this  time,  they  were  so  near  the  fire,  that  it  was  neces 
sary  to  change  the  conversation.  Luckily,  at  that  instant, 
Cap,  who  had  been  in  the  block  in  company  with  his  dying 
brother-in-law,  and  who  knew  nothing  of  what  had  passed 
since  the  capitulation,  now  appeared,  walking  with  a  medita 
tive  and  melancholy  air  towards  the  group.  Much  of  that 
hearty  dogmatism,  that  imparted  even  to  his  ordinary  air  and 
demeanour  an  appearance  of  something  like  contempt  for 
all  around  him,  had  disappeared,  and  he  seemed  thoughtful, 
if  not  meek. 

"  This  death,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  when  he  had  got  suf 
ficiently  near,  "  is  a  melancholy  business,  make  the  best  of 
it.  Now,  here  is  Serjeant  Dunham,  a  very  good  soldier,  I 
make  no  question,  about  to  slip  his  cable,  and  yet  he  holds 
on  to  the  better  end  of  it,  as  if  he  was  determined  it  should 
never  run  out  of  the  hawse-hole ;  and  all  because  he  loves  his 
daughter,  it  seems  to  me.  '  For  my  part,  when  a  friend  is 
really  under  the  necessity  of  making  a  long  journey,  I  al 
ways  wish  him  well  and  happily  off." 

"You  wouldn't  kill  the  sarjeant  before  his  time?"  Path 
finder  reproachfully  answered.  "  Life  is  sweet,  even  to  the 
aged,  and,  for  that  matter,  I  've  known  some  that  seemed  to 
set  much  store  by  it,  when  it  got  to  be  of  the  least  value ' 


THE    PATHFINDER.  431 

Nothing  had  been  farther  from  Cap's  real  thoughts,  than  tho 
wish  to  hasten  his  brother-in-law's  end.  He  had  found  him 
self  embarrassed  with  the  duties  of  smoothing  a  death-bed, 
and  all  he  had  meant  was  to  express  a  sincere  desire  that  the 
serjeant  were  happily  rid  of  doubt  and  suffering.  A  little 
shocked,  therefore,  at  the  interpretation  that  had  been  put  on 
his  words,  he  rejoined  with  some  of  the  asperity  of  the  man, 
though  rebuked  by  a  consciousness  of  not  having  done  his 
own  wishes  justice — 

"  You  are  too  old  and  too  sensible  a  person,  Pathfinder," 
he  said,  "  to  fetch  a  man  up  with  a  surge,  when  he  is  paying 
out  his  ideas  in  distress,  as  it  might  be.  Serjeant  Dunham  is 
both  my  brother-in-law  and  my  friend, — that  is  to  say,  as 
intimate  a  friend  as  a  soldier  well  can  be  with  a  seafaring 
man,  and  I  respect  and  honour  him  accordingly.  I  make  no 
doubt,  moreover,  that  he  has  lived  such  a  life  as  becomes  a 
man,  and  there  can  be  no  great  harm,  after  all,  in  wishing 
any  one  well  berthed  in  heaven.  Well !  we  are  mortal  the 
best  of  us,  that  you  '11  not  deny ;  and  it  ought  to  be  a  lesson 
not  to  feel  pride  in  our  strength  and  beauty.  Where  is  the 
Quarter- Master,  Pathfinder? — It  is  proper  he  should  come 
and  have  a  parting  word  with  the  poor  serjeant,  who  is  only 
going  a  little  before  us." 

"  You  have  spoken  more  truth,  Master  Cap,  than  you  Ve 
been  knowing  to,  all  this  time  ;  in  which  there  is  no  great 
wonder,  howsoever;  mankind  as  often  telling  biting  truths 
when  they  least  mean  it,  as  at  any  other  time.  You  might 
have  gone  farther,  notwithstanding,  and  said  that  we  are 
mortal,  the  worst  of  us,  which  is  quite  as  true,  and  a  good 
deal  more  wholesome  than  saying  that  we  are  mortal,  the 
best  of  us.  As  for  the  Quarter-Master's  coming  to  speak  a 
parting  word  to  the  sarjeant,  it  is  quite  out  of  the  question, 
seeing  that  he  has  gone  ahead,  and  that  too  with  little  parting 
notice  to  himself,  or  to  any  one  else." 

"  You  are  not  quite  as  clear  as  common,  in  your  language, 
Pathfinder.  I  know  that  we  ought  all  to  have  solemn  thoughts 
on  these  occasions,  but  I  see  no  use  in  speaking  in  par- 
ables." 

"  If  my  words  are  not  plain,  the  idee  is.  In  short,  Master 
Cap,  while  Sarjeant  Dunham  has  been  preparing  himself  for 
a  long  journey,  like  a  conscientious  and  honest  man  as  he  Is, 


432  THE    PATHFINDER. 

deliberately  and  slowly,  the  Quarter-Master  has  started,  in 
a  hurry,  before  him ;  and,  although  it  is  a  matter  on  which 
it  does  not  become  me  to  be  very  positive,  I  give  it  as  my 
opinion  that  they  travel  such  different  roads,  that  they  will 
never  meet." 

"  Explain  yourself,  my  friend,"  said  the  bewildered  seaman, 
looking  around  him  in  search  of  Muir,  whose  absence  began 
to  excite  his  distrust.  "  I  see  nothing  of  the  Quarter- Master, 
but  I  think  him  too  much  of  a  man  to  run  away,  now  that 
the  victory  is  gained.  If  the  fight  were  ahead,  instead  of  in 
our  wake,  the  case  would  be  altered." 

"  There  lies  all  that  is  left  of  him,  beneath  that  great-coat," 
returned  the  guide,  who  then  briefly  related  the  manner  of 
the  Lieutenant's  death.  "  The  Tuscarora  was  as  venomous 
in  his  blow,  as  a  rattler,  though  he  failed  to  give  the  warn 
ing,"  continued  Pathfinder.  «« 1  've  seen  many  a  desperate 
fight,  and  several  of  these  sudden  outbreaks  of  savage  tem 
per  ;  but  never,  before,  did  I  see  a  human  soul  quit  the  body 
more  unexpectedly,  or  at  a  worse  moment  for  the  hopes  of 
ihe  dying  man.  His  breath  was  stopped  with  the  lie  on  his 
lips,  and  the  spirit  might  be  said  to  have  passed  away  in  the 
very  ardour  of  wickedness." 

Cap  listened  with  a  gaping  mouth,  and  he  gave  two  or 
three  violent  hems,  as  the  other  concluded,  like  one  who  dis 
trusted  his  own  respiration. 

"  This  is  an  uncertain  and  uncomfortable  life  of  yours, 
master  Pathfinder,  what  between  the  fresh-water  and  the 
savages,"  he  said,  "  and  the  sooner  I  get  quit  of  it,  the  higher 
will  be  my  opinion  of  myself.  Now  you  mention  it,  1 
will  say  that  the  man  ran  for  that  berth  in  the  rocks,  when 
the  enemy  first  bore  down  upon  us,  with  a  sort  of  instinct 
that  I  thought  surprising  in  an  officer ;  but  I  was  in  too  great 
a  hurry  to  follow,  to  log  the  whole  matter  accurately.  God 
bless  me — God  bless  me !  a  traitor  do  you  say,  and  ready  to 
sell  his  country,  and  to  a  bloody  Frenchman  too  ?" 

"  To  sell  any  thing — country,  soul,  body,  Mabel  and  all 
our  scalps ;  and  no  ways  particular,  I  '11  engage,  as  to  the 
purchaser.  The  countrymen  of  Captain  Flinty-heart,  here, 
were  the  paymasters  this  time." 

"  Just  like  'em  ;  ever  ready  to  buy,  when  they  can't  thrash, 
and  to  run  when  they  can  do  neither." 


THE    PATHFINDER.  433 

Mons.  Sanglier  lifted  his  cap  with  ironical  gravity,  and 
acknowledged  the  compliment  with  an  expression  of  polite 
contempt  that  was  altogether  lost  on  its  insensible  subject. 
But  Pathfinder  had  too  much  native  courtesy,  and  was  far 
too  just-minded,  to  allow  the  attack  to  go  unnoticed. 

"Well — well,"  he  interposed — "to  my  mind  there  is  no 
great  difference  atween  an  Englishman  and  a  Frenchman, 
after  all.  They  talk  different  tongues,  and  live  under  differ 
ent  kings,  I  will  allow ;  but  both  are  human,  and  feel  like 
human  beings,  when  there  is  occasion  for  it.  If  a  French 
man  is  sometimes  skeary,  so  is  an  Englishman ;  and  as  for 
running  away,  why  a  man  will  now  and  then  do  it,  as  well 
as  a  horse,  let  him  come  of  what  people  he  may." 

Captain  Flinty-heart,  as  Pathfinder  called  him,  made 
another  obeisance;  but  this  time  the  smile  was  friendly,  and 
not  ironical,  for  he  felt  that  the  intention  was  good,  whatever 
might  have  been  the  mode  of  expressing  it.  Too  philosophi 
cal,  however,  to  heed  what  a  man  like  Cap  might  say,  or 
tnink,  he  finished  his  breakfast  without  allowing  his  attention 
to  be  again  diverted  from  that  important  pursuit. 

"  My  business  here  was  principally  with  the  Quarter-Mas 
ter,"  Cap  continued,  as  soon  as  he  had  done  regarding  the 
prisoner's  pantomime.  "  The  serjeant  must  be  near  his  end  ; 
and  I  have  thought  he  might  wish  to  say  something  to  his 
successor  in  authority,  before  he  finally  departed.  It  is  too 
late,  it  would  seem  ;  and,  as  you  say,  Pathfinder,  the  lieuten 
ant  has  truly  gone  before." 

"  That  he  has,  though  on  a  different  path.  As  for  autho 
rity,  I  suppose  the  corporal  has  now  a  right  to  command 
what's  left  of  the  55th,  though  a  small  and  worried,  not  to 
say  frightened,  party  it  is.  But,  if  any  thing  needs  to  be 
done,  the  chances  are  greatly  in  favour  of  my  being  called  on 
to  do  it.  I  suppose,  however,  we  have  only  to  bury  our  dead, 
set  fire  to  the  block  and  the  huts,  for  they  stand  in  the  inimy's 
territory,  by  position,  if  not  by  law,  and  must  not  be  left  for 
their  convenience.  Our  using  them  again,  is  out  of  the  ques 
tion  ;  for  now  the  Frenchers  know  where  the  island  is  to  be 
found,  it  would  be  like  thrusting  the  hand  into  a  wolf-trap, 
with  our  eyes  wide  open.  This  part  of  the  work,  the  Sar- 
pent  and  I  will  see  to ;  for  we  are  as  practysed  in  retreats  as 
in  advances." 
37 


434  THE    PATHFINDER. 

"All  that  is  very  well,  my  good  friend;  aid  now  for  my 
poor  brother-in-law :  though  he  is  a  soldier,  we  cannot  lei 
him  slip  without  a  word  of  consolation,  and  a  leave-taking, 
in  my  judgment.  This  has  been  an  unlucky  affair,  on  every 
tack ;  though  I  suppose  it  is  what  one  had  a  right  to  expect, 
considering  the  state  of  the  times,  and  the  nature  of  the  na 
vigation.  We  must  make  the  best  of  it,  and  try  to  help  the 
worthy  man  to  unmoor,  without  straining  his  messengers. 
Death  is  a  circumstance,  after  all,  Master  Pathfinder,  and 
one  of  a  very  general  character,  too,  seeing  that  we  must  all 
submit  to  it,  sooner  or  later." 

"  You  say  truth,  you  say  truth  ;  and  for  that  reason  I  hold 
it  to  be  wise  to  be  always  ready.  I  Ve  often  thought,  Salt 
water,  that  he  is  happiest  who  has  the  least  to  leave  behind 
him  when  the  summons  comes.  Now,  here  am  I,  a  hunter 
and  a  scout,  and  a  guide,  although  I  do  not  own  a  foot  of 
land  on  'arth,  yet  do  I  enjoy  and  possess  more  than  the  great 
Albany  Patroon.  With  the  heavens  over  my  head  to  keep 
me  in  mind  of  the  last  great  hunt,  and  the  dried  leaves  be 
neath  my  feet,  1  tramp  over  the  ground  as  freely  as  if  I  was 
its  lord  and  owner ;  and  what  more  need  heart  desire  ?  I  do 
not  say  that  I  love  nothing  that  belongs  to  'arth ;  for  I  do, 
though  not  much,  unless  it  might  be  Mabel  Dunham,  that  I 
can't  carry  with  me.  I  have  some  pups  at  the  higher  fort, 
that  I  valy  considerable,  though  they  are  too  noisy  for  war 
fare,  and  so  we  are  compelled  to  live  separate  for  a  while ; 
and  then,  I  think,  it  would  grieve  me  to  part  with  Killdeer  ; 
but  I  see  no  reason  why  we  should  not  be  buried  in  the  same 
grave,  for  we  are,  as  near  as  can  be,  of  the  same  length — 
six  feet,  to  a  hair's  breadth ;  but,  bating  these,  and  a  pipe 
that  the  Sarpent  gave  me,  and  a  few  tokens,  received  from 
travellers,  all  of  which  might  be  put  in  a  pouch,  and  laid  un 
der  my  head,  when  the  order  comes  to  march,  I  shall  be  ready 
at  a  minute's  warning  ;  and,  let  me  tell  you,  Master  Cap 
that's  what  I  call  a  circumstance,  too  !" 

"  'Tis  just  so  with  me,"  answered  the  sailor,  as  the  two 
walked  towards  the  block,  too  much  occupied  with  their  re 
spective  morality,  to  remember,  at  the  moment,  the  melan 
choly  errand  they  were  on — "  that's  just  my  way  of  feeling 
and  reasoning.  How  often  have  I  felt,  when  near  shipwreck, 
the  relief  of  not  owning  the  craft !  *  If  she  goes,  I  have  said 


THE    PATHFINDER.  435 

to  myself,  '  why  my  life  goes  with  her,  but  not  my  property, 
and  there's  great  comfort  in  that.'  I  've  discovered,  in  the 
course  of  boxing  about  the  world,  from  the  Horn  to  Cape 
North,  not  to  speak  of  this  run  on  a  bit  of  fresh- water,  that 
if  a  man  has  a  few  dollars,  and  puts  them  in  a  chest,  under 
lock  and  key,  he  is  pretty  certain  to  fasten  up  his  heart  in 
the  same  till ;  and  so  I  carry  pretty  much  all  I  own,  in  a 
belt  round  my  body,  in  order,  as  I  say,  to  keep  the  vitals  in 
the  right  place.  D e,  Pathfinder,  if  I  think  a  man  with 
out  a  heart,  any  better  than  a  fish  with  a  hole  in  his  air-bag." 

"  I  don't  know  how  that  may  be,  Master  Cap,  but  a  man 
without  a  conscience  is  but  a  poor  creator',  take  my  word  for 
it,  as  any  one  will  discover  who  has  to  do  with  a  Mingo.  I 
trouble  myself  but  little  with  dollars  or  half-joes,  for  these 
are  the  favoryte  coin  in  this  part  of  the  world ;  but  I  can 
easily  believe,  by  what  I  've  seen  of  mankind,  that  if  a  man 
has  a  chest  filled  with  either,  he  may  be  said  to  lock  up  his 
heart  in  the  same  box.  I  once  hunted  for  two  summers,  dur 
ing  the  last  peace,  and  I  collected  so  much  peltry  that  I  found 
my  right  feelings  giving  way  to  a  craving  after  property ;  and 
if  I  have  consarn  in  marrying  Mabel,  it  is  that  I  may  get  to 
love  such  things  too  well,  in  order  to  make  her  comfortable." 

"  You  're  a  philosopher,  that 's  clear,  Pathfinder ;  and  I 
don't  know  but  you  're  a  Christian  !" 

"  I  should  be  out  of  humour  with  the  man  that  gainsayed 
the  last,  Master  Cap.  I  have  not  been  christianized  by  the 
Moravians,  like  so  many  of  the  Delawares,  it  is  true ;  but  I 
hold  to  Christianity  and  white  gifts.  With  me,  it  is  as  on- 
creditable  for  a  white  man  not  to  be  a  Christian,  as  it  is  for 
a  red-skin  not  to  believe  in  his  happy  hunting-grounds ;  in 
deed,  after  allowing  for  difference  in  traditions,  and  in  some 
variations  about  the  manner  in  which  the  spirit  will  be  occu 
pied  after  death,  I  hold  that  a  good  Delaware  is  a  good  Chris 
tian,  though  he  never  saw  a  Moravian ;  and  a  good  Christian 
a  good  Delaware,  so  far  as  natur'  is  consarned.  The  Bar- 
pent  and  I  talk  these  matters  over  often,  for  he  has  a  han- 
kerin'  after  Christianity — " 

"  The  d 1  he  has  !"  interrupted  Cap.  "  And  what  does 

he  intend  to  do  in  a  church,  with  all  the  scalps  he  takes  ?" 

"  Don't  run  away  with  a  false  idee,  friend  Cap ;  don't  run 
away  with  a  false  idee.  These  things  are  only  skin-deep, 


436  THE    PATHFINDER. 

and  all  depend  on  edication  and  nat'ral  gifts.  Look  around 
you,  at  mankind,  and  tell  me  why  you  see  a  red  warrior 
here,  a  black  one  there,  and  white  armies  in  another  place? 
All  this,  and  a  great  deal  more  of  the  same  kind  that  I  could 
point  out,  has  been  ordered  for  some  'special  purpose ;  and  it 
is  not  for  us  to  fly  in  the  face  of  facts,  and  deny  their  truth. 
No — no — each  colour  has  its  gifts,  and  its  laws,  and  its  tra 
ditions  ;  and  one  is  not  to  condemn  another  because  he  does 
not  exactly  comprehend  it." 

"  You  must  have  read  a  great  deal,  Pathfinder,  to  see 
things  as  clear  as  this,"  returned  Cap,  who  was  not  a  little 
mystified  by  his  companion's  simple  creed — "  It 's  all  as  plain 
as  day  to  me  now,  though  I  must  say  I  never  fell  in  with 
these  opinions  before.  What  denomination  do  you  belong 
to,  my  friend  ?" 

"Anan?" 

«'  What  sect  do  you  hold  out  for  ? — What  particular  church 
do  you  fetch  up  in  ?" 

"  Look  about  you  and  judge  for  yourself.  I  'm  in  church 
now;  I  eat  in  church,  drink  in  church,  sleep  in  church. 
The  'arth  is  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and  I  wait  on  him 
hourly,  daily,  without  ceasing,  I  humbly  hope.  No — no — 
I  '11  not  deny  my  blood  and  colour,  but  am  Christian  born, 
and  shall  die  in  the  same  faith.  The  Moravians  tried  me 
hard ;  and  one  of  the  king's  chaplains  has  had  his  say,  too, 
though  that's  a  class  no  ways  strenuous  on  such  matters  ; 
and  a  missionary  sent  from  Rome  talked  much  with  me,  as 
I  guided  him  through  the  forest,  during  the  last  peace ;  but 
I  Ve  had  one  answer  for  them  all — I  'm  a  Christian  already, 
and  want  to  be  neither  Moravian,  nor  Churchman,  nor  Pa 
pist.  No — no — I  '11  not  deny  my  birth  and  blood." 

"  I  think  a  word  from  you  might  lighten  the  serjeant  over 
the  shoals  of  death,  Master  Pathfinder.  He  has  no  one  with 
him  but  poor  Mabel,  and  she,  y&a  know,  besides  being  his 
daughter,  is  but  a  girl  and  a  child  after  all." 

"  Mabel  is  feeble  in  body,  friend  Cap,  but  in  matters  of 
this  natur',  I  doubt  if  she  may  not  be  stronger  than  most 
men.  But  Sarjeant  Dunham  is  my  friend,  and  he  is  your 
brother-in-law ;  so,  now  the  press  of  fighting  and  maintain 
ing  our  rights  is  over,  it  is  fitting  we  should  both  go  and  wit 
ness  his  departure.  I  've  stood  by  many  a  dying  man,  Mas- 


THE    PATHFINDER.  437 

ter  Cap,"  continued  Pathfinder,  who  nad  a  Desetting  piopensity 
to  enlarge  on  his  experience,  stopping  and  holding  his  com 
panion  by  a  button — "  I  've  stood  by  many  a  dying  man's 
side,  and  seen  his  last  gasp,  and  heard  his  last  breath  ;  for 
when  the  hurry  and  tumult  of  the  battle  is  over,  it  is  good  to 
bethink  us  of  the  misfortunate,  and  it  is  remarkable  to  wit 
ness  how  differently  human  natur'  feels  at  such  solemn  mo 
ments.  Some  go  their  way  as  stupid  and  ignorant  as  if  God 
had  never  given  them  reason,  and  an  accountable  state; 
while  others  quit  us  rejoicing,  like  men  who  leave  heavy  bur 
thens  behind  them.  I  think  that  the  mind  sees  clearly  at 
such  moments,  my  friend,  and  that  past  deeds  stand  thick 
before  the  recollection." 

"  I  '11  engage  they  do,  Pathfinder.  I  have  witnessed  some 
thing  of  this  myself,  and  hope  I  'm  the  better  man  for  it.  I 
remember  once  that  I  thought  my  own  time  had  come,  and 
the  log  was  overhauled  with  a  diligence  I  did  not  think  my 
self  capable  of  until  that  moment.  I  've  not  been  a  very 
great  sinner,  friend  Pathfinder ;  that  is  to  say,  never  on  a 
large  scale ;  though,  I  dare  say,  if  the  truth  were  spoken,  a 
considerable  amount  of  small  matters  might  be  raked  up 
against  me,  as  well  as  against  another  man ;  but  then  I  've 
never  committed  piracy,  nor  high-treason,  nor  arson,  nor 
any  of  them  sort  of  things.  As  to  smuggling,  and  the  like 
of  that,  why  I  'm  a  seafaring  man,  and  I  suppose  all  callings 
have  their  weak  spots.  I  dare  say,  your  trade  is  not  altoge 
ther  without  blemish,  honourable  and  useful  as  it  seems  to 
be?" 

"  Many  of  the  scouts  and  guides  are  desperate  knaves ; 
and,  like  the  Quarter-Master  here,  some  of  them  take  pay 
of  both  sides.  I  hope  I  'm  not  one  of  them,  though  all  occu 
pations  lead  to  temptations.  Thrice  have  I  been  sorely  tried 
in  my  life,  and  once  I  yielded  a  little,  though  I  hope  it  was 
not  in  a  matter  to  disturb,  a  "man's  conscience  in  his  last  mo 
ments.  The  first  tim&  was  when  I  found  in  the  woods  a 
pack  of  skins  that  I  knowed  belonged  to  a  Frencher,  who 
was  hunting  on  our  side  of  the  lines,  where  he  had  no  busi 
ness  to  be ;  twenty-six  as  handsome  beavers  as  ever  glad 
dened  human  eyes !  Well,  that  was  a  sore  temptation,  foi 
I  thought  the  law  would  have  been  almost  with  me,  although 
it  was  in  peace-times.  But  then  1  -emembered  that  such  laws 
37* 


438  THE  PATHFINDER. 

wasn't  made  for  us  hunters,  and  bethought  me  that  the  poor 
man  might  have  built  great  expectations  for  the  next  winter, 
on  the  sale  of  his  skins ;  and  I  left  them  where  they  lay. 
Most  of  our  people  said  I  did  wrong ;  but  the  manner  in 
which  I  slept  that  night  convinced  me  that  I  had  done  right. 
The  next  trial  was  when  I  found  the  rifle,  that  is  sartainly 
the  only  one  in  this  part  of  the  world  that  can  be  calculated 
on  as  surely  as  Killdeer,  and  knowed  that  by  taking  it,  or 
even  hiding  it,  I  might  at  once  rise  to  be  the  first  shot  in  all 
these  parts.  I  was  then  young,  and  by  no  means  as  expart 
as  I  have  since  got  to  be,  and  youth  is  ambitious  and  stri 
ving  ;  but,  God  be  praised !  I  mastered  that  feeling ;  and, 
friend  Cap,  what  is  almost  as  good,  I  mastered  my  rival  in 
as  fair  a  shooting-match  as  was  ever  witnessed  in  a  garri 
son  ;  he  with  his  piece,  and  I  with  Killdeer,  and  before  the 
general  in  person,  too  !"  Here  Pathfinder  stopped  to  laugh, 
his  triumph  still  glittering  in  his  eyes,  and  glowing  on  his 
sunburnt  and  browned  cheek. — "  Well,  the  next  conflict  with 
the  devil  was  the  hardest  of  them  all,  and  that  was  when  I 
came  suddenly  upon  a  camp  of  six  Mingos,  asleep  in  the 
woods,  with  their  guns  and  horns  piled  in  a  way  that  enabled 
me  to  get  possession  of  them  without  waking  a  miscreant 
of  them  all.  What  an  opportunity  that  would  have  been  for 
the  Sarpent,  who  would  have  despatched  them,  one  after  an 
other,  with  his  knife,  and  had  their  six  sea'  -s  at  his  girdle, 
in  about  the  time  it  takes  me  to  tell  you  the  story.  Oh  !  he's 
a  valiant  warrior,  that  Chingachgook,  and  as  honest  as  he  '3 
brave,  and  as  good  as  he 's  honest !" 

"  And  what  may  you  have  done  in  this  matter,  Master 
Pathfinder,"  demanded  Cap,  who  began  to  be  interested  in 
the  result — "  it  seems  to  me,  you  had  made  either  a  very 
lucky,  or  a  very  unlucky  landfall." 

"  'Twas  lucky,  and  'twas  unlucky,  if  you  can  understand 
that.  'Twas  unlucky,  for  it  proved  a  desperate  trial ;  and 
yet  'twas  lucky,  all  things  considered,  in  the  ind.  I  did  not 
touch  a  hair  of  their  heads,  for  a  white  man  has  no  nat'ral 
gifts  to  take  scalps ;  nor  did  I  even  make  sure  of  one  of  their 
rifles.  I  distrusted  myself,  knowing  that  a  Mingo  is  no  fa 
vounte,  in  my  own  eyes." 

"  As  for  the  scalps,  I  think  you  were  right  enough,  my 
worthy  friend ;  but  as  for  the  armament  and  the  stores,  they 


THE  PATHFINDER.  439 

would  have  been  condemned  by  any  prize-court  in  Chris 
tendom  !" 

"  That  they  would — that  they  would ;  but  then  the  Mingoa 
would  have  gone  clear,  seeing  that  a  white  man  can  no  more 
attack  an  unarmed,  than  a  sleeping  inimy.  No — no — I  did 
myself,  and  my  colour,  and  my  religion,  too,  greater  justice. 
I  waited  till  their  nap  was  over,  and  they  well  on  their  war 
path  again  ;  and  by  ambushing  them  here,  and  flanking  them 
there,  I  peppered  the  blackguards  intrinsically,  like,"  Path 
finder  occasionally  caught  a  fine  word  from  his  associates, 
and  used  it  a  little  vaguely — "  that  only  one  ever  got  back  to 
his  village ;  and  he  came  into  his  wigwam,  limping.  Luck 
ily,  as  it  turned  out,  the  great  Delaware  had  only  halted  to 
jerk  some  venison,  and  was  following  on  my  trail ;  and  when 
he  got  up,  he  had  five  of  the  scoundrel's  scalps  hanging  where 
they  ought  to  be ;  so,  you  see,  nothing  was  lost  by  doing 
right,  either  in  the  way  of  honour  or  in  that  of  profit." 

Cap  grunted  an  assent,  though  the  distinctions  in  his  com 
panion's  morality,  it  must  be  owned,  were  not  exactly  clear 
to  his  understanding.  The  two  had  occasionally  moved  to 
wards  the  block,  as  they  conversed,  and  then  stopped  again, 
as  some  matter  of  more  interest  than  common,  brought  them 
to  a  halt.  They  were  now  so  near  the  building,  however,  that 
neither  thought  of  pursuing  the  subject  any  further ;  but  each 
prepared  himself  for  the  final  scene  with  Serjeant  Dunham. 


CHAPTER  XXYIII. 

-  Thou  barraine  ground,  whom  winter's  wrath  hath  wasted, 
Art  made  a  mirrcr  to  behold  my  plight: 
Whil'ome  thy  fresh  spring  flower'd  ;  and  after  hasted 
Thy  summer  proude,  with  daffodillies  dight; 
And  now  is  come  thy  winter's  stormy  state, 
Thy  mantle  mar'd  wherein  thou  maskedst  late." 

SPENSER. 

ALTHOUGH  the  soldier  may  regard  danger,  and  even  death, 
with  indifference,  in  the  tumult  of  battle,  when  the  passage 


440  THE    PATHFINDER. 

of  the  soul  is  delayed  to  moments  of  tranquillity  and  reflec 
tion,  the  change  commonly  brings  with  it  the  usual  train  of 
solemn  reflections ;  of  regrets  for  the  past ;  and  of  doubts  and 
anticipations  for  the  future.  Many  a  man  has  died  with  an 
neroic  expression  on  his  lips,  but  with  heaviness  and  distrust 
at  his  heart ;  for,  whatever  may  be  the  varieties  of  our  reli 
gious  creeds, — let  us  depend  on  the  mediation  of  Christ,  tho 
dogmas  of  Mahomet,  or  the  elaborated  allegories  of  theEasf., 
there  is  a  conviction,  common  to  all  men,  that  death  is  but 
the  stepping-stone  between  this  and  a  more  elevated  state  of 
being.  Serjeant  Dunham  was  a  brave  man  ;  but  he  was  de 
parting  for  a  country  in  which  resolution  could  avail  him 
nothing ;  and  as  he  felt  himself  gradually  loosened  from  the 
grasp  of  the  world,  his  thoughts  and  feelings  took  the  natural 
direction  ;  for,  if  it  be  true  that  death  is  the  great  leveller,  in 
nothing  is  it  more  true,  than  that  it  reduces  all  to  the  same 
views  of  the  vanity  of  life. 

Pathfinder,  though  a  man  of  quaint  and  peculiar  habits  and 
opinions,  was  always  thoughtful,  and  disposed  to  view  the 
things  around  him,  with  a  shade  of  philosophy,  as  well  as 
with  seriousness.  In  him,  therefore,  the  scene  in  the  block 
house  awakened  no  very  novel  feelings ;  but  the  case  was 
different  with  Cap.  Rude,  opinionated,  dogmatical,  and 
boisterous,  the  old  sailor  was  little  accustomed  to  view  even 
death,  with  any  approach  to  the  gravity  that  its  importance 
demands ;  and,  notwithstanding  all  that  had  passed,  and 
his  real  regard  for  his  brother-in-law,  he  now  entered  the 
room  of  the  dying  man,  with  much  of  that  callous  uncon-  , 
cern  which  was  the  fruit  of  long  training  in  a  school,  that,  / 
while  it  gives  so  many  lessons  in  the  sublimest  truths,  gener 
ally  wastes  its  admonitions  on  scholars  who  are  little  dis 
posed  to  profit  by  them. 

The  first  proof  that  Cap  gave  of  his  not  entering  as  fully 
as  those  around  him,  into  the  solemnity  of  the  moment,  was 
by  commencing  a  narration  of  the  events  which  had  just  led 
to  the  deaths  of  Muir  and  Arrowhead.  "  Both  tripped  their 
anchors  in  a  hurry,  brother  Dunham,"  he  concluded  ;  "  and 
you  have  the  consolation  of  knowing  that  others  have  gone 
before  you,  in  the  great  journey,  and  they,  too,  men  whom 
you  've  no  particular  reason  to  love ;  which  to  me,  were  I 
placed  in  your  situation,  would  be  a  source  of  very  greal 


THE   PATHFINDER.  441 

satisfaction.  My  mother  always  said,  Master  Pathfinder, 
that  dying  people's  spirits  should  not  be  damped,  but  that 
they  ought  to  be  encouraged  by  all  proper  and  prudent 
means ;  and  this  news  will  give  the  poor  fellow  a  great  lift, 
if  he  feels  towards  them  savages  any  way  as  I  feel  myself." 

June  arose,  at  this  intelligence,  and  stole  from  the  block 
house  with  a  noiseless  step.  Dunham  listened  with  a  vacant 
stare,  for  life  had  already  lost  so  many  of  its  ties  that  he  had 
really  forgotten  Arrowhead,  and  cared  nothing  for  Muir ;  but 
he  inquired,  in  a  feeble  voice,  for  Eau-douce.  The  young 
man  was  immediately  summoned,  and  soon  made  his  appear 
ance.  The  serjeant  gazed  at  him  kindly,  and  the  expression 
of  his  eyes  was  that  of  regret  for  the  injury  he  had  done 
him,  in  thought.  The  party  in  the  block-house  now  con 
sisted  of  Pathfinder,  Cap,  Mabel,  Jasper,  and  the  dying  man. 
With  the  exception  of  the  daughter,  all  stood  around  the  ser- 
jeant's  pallet,  in  attendance  on  his  last  moments.  Mabel 
kneeled  at  his  side,  now  pressing  a  clammy  hand  to  her 
head,  now  applying  moisture  to  the  parched  lips  of  her 
father. 

"  Your  case  will  shortly  be  ourn,  sarjeant,"  said  Path 
finder,  who  could  hardly  be  said  to  be  awe-struck  by  the 
scene,  for  he  had  witnessed  the  approach  and  victories  of 
death  too  often  for  that ;  but  who  felt  the  full  difference  be 
tween  his  triumphs  in  the  excitement  of  battle,  and  in  the 
quiet  of  the  domestic  circle ;  "  and  I  make  no  question  we 
shall  meet  ag'in,  hereafter.  Arrowhead  has  gone  his  way, 
'tis  true;  but  it  can  never  be  the  way  of  a  just  Indian. 
You  've  seen  the  last  of  him ;  for  his  path  cannot  be  the 
path  of  the  just.  Reason  is  ag'in  the  thought,  in  his  case, 
as  it  is  also,  in  my  judgment,  ag'in  it,  too,  in  the  case  of 
Lieutenant  Muir.  You  have  done  your  duty  in  life,  and 
when  a  man  does  that,  he  may  start  on  the  longest  journey 
with  a  light  heart,  and  an  actyve  foot." 

"  I  hope  so,  my  friend — I  've  tried  to  do  my  duty." 

"  Ay — ay — "  put  in  Cap ;  "  intention  is  half  the  battle  • 
and  though  you  would  have  done  better  had  you  hove-to  in 
ihe  offing,  and  sent  a  craft  in  to  feel  how  the  land  lay ;  things 
might  have  turned  out  differently ;  no  one,  here,  doubts  that 
you  meant  all  for  the  best,  and  no  one  anywhere  else  I 


442  THE   PATHFINDER. 

should  think,  from  what  I  Ve  seen  of  this  world,  and  read  of 
t'  other." 

"I  did— yes— I  meant  all  for  the  best." 

"  Father !— Oh  !  my  beloved  father !" 

"  Magnet  is  taken  aback  by  this  blow,  Master  Pathfinder, 
and  can  say,  or  do,  but  little  to  carry  her  father  over  the 
shoals  ;  so  we  must  try  all  the  harder  to  serve  him  a  friendly 
turn,  ourselves." 

"  Did  you  speak,  Mabel  ?"  Dunham  asked,  turning  his  eyes 
in  the  direction  of  his  daughter,  for  he  was  already  too  feeble 
to  turn  his  body. 

"  Yes,  father ;  rely  on  nothing  you  have  done  yourself, 
for  mercy  and  salvation ;  trust  altogether  in  the  blessed  me 
diation  of  the  Son  of  God !" 

"  The  chaplain  has  told  us  something  like  this,  brother — 
the  dear  child  may  be  right." 

"  Ay — ay — that 's  doctrine,  out  of  question.  He  will  be 
our  judge,  and  keeps  the  log-book  of  our  acts,  and  will  foot 
them  all  up,  at  the  last  day,  and  then  say  who  has  done 
well,  and  who  has  done  ill.  I  do  believe  Mabel  is  right,  but 
then  you  need  not  be  concerned,  as  no  doubt  the  account  has 
been  fairly  kept." 

"  Uncle  ! — dearest  father ! — This  is  a  vain  illusion — Oh  ! 
place  all  your  trust  in  the  mediation  of  our  holy  redeemer  ! 
Have  you  not  often  felt  your  own  insufficiency  to  effect  your 
own  wishes  in  the  commonest  things,  and  how  can  you 
imagine  yourself,  by  your  own  acts,  equal  to  raise  up  a  frail 
and  sinful  nature  sufficiently  to  be  received  into  the  presence 
of  perfect  purity  ?  There  is  no  hope  for  any,  but  in  the 
mediation  of  Christ !" 

"  This  is  what  the  Moravians  used  to  tell  us,"  said  Path 
finder  to  Cap,  in  a  low  voice ;  "  rely  on  it,  Mabel  is  right." 

"Right  enough,  friend  Pathfinder,  in  the  distances,  but 
wrong  in  the  course.  I  'm  afraid  the  child  will  get  the  ser- 
jeant  adrift,  at  the  very  moment  when  we  had  him  in  the 
best  of  the  water,  and  in  the  plainest  part  of  the  channel." 

"  Leave  it  to  Mabel — leave  it  to  Mabel — she  knows  better 
than  any  of  us,  and  can  do  no  harm." 

"  I  have  heard  this  before" — Dunham  at  length  replied — 
"Ah!  Mabel;  it  is  strange  for  the  parent  to  lean  on  the 
child,  at  a  moment  like  this !" 


THE    PATHFINDER.  443 

"Put  your  trust  in  God,  father — lean  on  his  holy  and 
compassionate  son.  Pray,  dearest,  dearest  father — pray  for 
his  omnipotent  support." 

"  I  am  not  used  to  prayer — brother — Pathfinder — Jasper 
—  can  you  help  me  to  words  T' 

Cap  scarce  knew  what  prayer  meant,  and  he  had  no 
answer  to  give.  Pathfinder  prayed  often,  daily  if  not  hourly 
— hut  it  was  mentally,  in  his  own  simple  modes  of  thinking, 
and  without  the  aid  of  words  at  all.  In  this  strait,  therefore, 
he  was  as  useless  as  the  mariner,  and  had  no  reply  to  make. 
As  for  Jasper  Eau-douce,  though  he  would  gladly  have 
endeavoured  to  move  a  mountain,  to  relieve  Mabel,  this  was 
asking  assistance,  it  exceeded  his  power  to  give,  and  he 
shrunk  back  with  the  shame,  that  is  only  too  apt  to  overcome 
the  young  and  vigorous,  when  called  on  to  perform  an  act 
that  tacitly  confesses  their  real  weakness  and  dependence  on 
a  superior  power. 

"  Father" — said  Mabel,  wiping  her  eyes,  and  endeavour 
ing  to  compose  features  that  were  pallid,  and  actually  quiver 
ing  with  emotion — "  /  will  pray  with  you— for  you — for 
myself^  for  us  all.  The  petition  of  the  feeblest  and  hum 
blest  is  never  unheeded." 

There  was  something  sublime,  as  well  as  much  that  was 
supremely  touching  in  this  act  of  filial  piety.  The  quiet, 
but  earnest  manner  in  which  this  young  creature  prepared 
herself  to  perform  the  duty;  the  self-abandonment  with  which 
she  forgot  her  sex's  timidity  and  sex's  shame,  in  order  to 
sustain  her  parent  at  that  trying  moment ;  the  loftiness  of 
purpose  with  which  she  directed  all  her  powers  to  the  im 
mense  object  before  her,  with  a  woman's  devotion,  and  a 
woman's  superiority  to  trifles,  when  her  affections  make  the 
appeal ;  and  the  holy  calm  into  which  her  grief  was  com 
pressed,  rendered  her,  for  the  moment,  an  object  of  some 
thing  very  like  awe  and  veneration  to  her  companions. 

Mabel  had  been  religiously  and  reasonably  educated ; 
equally  without  exaggeration  and  without  self-sufficiency. 
Her  reliance  on  God  was  cheerful  and  full  of  hope,  while 
it  was  of  the  humblest  and  most  dependent  nature.  She  had 
been  accustomed  from  childhood,  to  address  herself  to  tho 
Deity,  in  prayer ; — taking  example  from  the  divine  mandate 
of  Christ  himself,  who  eomrranded  his  followers  10  abstain 


444  THE    PATHFINDER. 

from  vain  repetitions,  and  who  has  left  behind  him  a  petition 
that  is  unequalled  for  sublimity  and  sententiousness,  as  if 
expressly  to  rebuke  the  disposition  of  man  to  set  up  his  own 
loose  and  random  thoughts  ais  the  most  acceptable  sacrifice. 
The  sect  in  which  she  had  been  reared,  has  furnished  to  its 
followers  some  of  the  most  beautiful  compositions  of  the  lan 
guage,  as  a  suitable  vehicle  for  its  devotion  and  solicitationsr 
Accustomed  to  this  mode  of  public  and  even  private  prayer, 
the  mind  of  our  heroine  had  naturally  fallen  into  its  train 
of  lofty  thought ;  her  task  had  become  improved  by  its  study, 
and  her  language  elevated  and  enriched  by  its  phrases.  In 
short,  Mabel,  in  this  respect,  was  an  instance  of  the  influence 
of  familiarity  with  propriety  of  thought,  fitness  of  language, 
and  decorum  of  manner,  on  the  habits  and  expressions  of 
even  those  who  might  be  supposed  not  to  be  always  so  sus 
ceptible  of  receiving  high  impressions  of  this  nature.  When 
she  kneeled  at  the  bed-side  of  her  father,  the  very  reverence 
of  her  attitude  and  manner,  prepared  the  spectators  for 
what  was  to  come ;  and  as  her  affectionate  heart  prompted 
her  tongue,  and  memory  came  in  aid  of  both,  the  petition 
and  praises  that  she  offered  up,  were  of  a  character  that 
might  have  worthily  led  the  spirits  of  angels.  Although  the 
words  were  not  slavishly  borrowed,  the  expressions  partook 
of  the  simple  dignity  of  the  liturgy  to  which  she  had  been 
accustomed,  and  was  probably  as  worthy  of  the  being  to 
whom  they  were  addressed  as  they  could  well  be  made  by 
human  powers.  They  produced  their  full  impression  on  the 
hearers  ;  for  it  is  worthy  of  remark,  that,  notwithstanding  the 
pernicious  effects  of  a  false  taste  when  long  submitted  to, 
real  sublimity  and  beauty  are  so  closely  allied  to  nature,  that 
they  generally  find  an  echo  in  every  heart. 

But  when  our  heroine  came  to  touch  upon  the  situation 
of  the  dying  man,  she  became  the  most  truly,  persua 
sive,  for  then  she  was  the  most  truly  zealous  and  natural. 
The  beauty  of  the  language  was  preserved,  but  it  was  sus 
tained  by  the  simple  power  of  love ;  and  her  words  were 
warmed  by  a  holy  zeal,  that  approached  to  the  grandeur  of 
true  eloquence.  We  might  record  some  of  her  expressions, 
but  doubt  the  propriety  of  subjecting  such  sacred  themes  to 
a  too  familiar  analysis,  and  refrain. 

The  effect  of  this  singular  but  solemn  scene,  was  different 


THE  PATHFINDER, 

on  the  different  individuals  present.  Dunham  himself  was 
soon  lost  in  the  subject  of  the  prayer ;  and  he  felt  some  such 
relief,  as  one  who  finds  himself  staggering  on  the  edge  of  a 
precipice  under  a  burthen  difficult  to  be  borne,  might  be  sup 
posed  to  experience,  when  he  unexpectedly  feels  the  weight 
removed,  in  order  to  be  placed  on  the  shoulders  of  another 
better  able  to  sustain  it.  Cap  was  surprised,  as  well  as 
awed ;  though  the  effects  on  his  mind  were  not  very  deep  or 
very  lasting.  He  wondered  a  little  at  his  own  sensations, 
and  had  his  doubts  whether  they  were  as  manly  and  heroic 
as  they  ought  to  be ;  but  he  was  far  too  sensible  of  the  influ 
ence  of  truth,  humility,  religious  submission  and  human  de 
pendency,  to  think  of  interposing  with  any  of  his  crude  ob 
jections.  Jasper  knelt  opposite  to  Mabel,  covered  his  face, 
and  followed  her  words,  with  an  earnest  wish  to  aid  her 
prayers  with  his  own ;  though  it  may  be  questioned  if  his 
thoughts  did  not  dwell  quite  as  much  on  the  soft,  gentle 
accents  of  the  petitioner,  as  on  the  subject  of  her  petition. 

The  effect  on  Pathfinder  was  striking  and  visible;  visible, 
because  he  stood  erect,  also  opposite  to  Mabel ;  and  the  work 
ings  of  his  countenance,  as  usual,  betrayed  the  workings  of 
the  spirit  within.  He  leaned  on  his  rifle,  and,  at  moments, 
the  sinewy  fingers  grasped  the  barrel  with  a  force  that  seemed 
to  compress  the  weapon ;  while,  once  or  twice,  as  Mabel's 
language  rose  in  intimate  association  with  her  thoughts,  he 
lifted  his  eyes  to  the  floor  above  him,  as  if  he  expected  to 
find  some  visible  evidence  of  the  presence  of  the  dread  being 
to  whom  the  words  were  addressed.  Then  again  his  feel 
ings  reverted  to  the  fair  creature  who  was  thus  pouring  out 
her  spirit,  in  fervent  but  calm  petitions,  in  behalf  of  a  dying 
parent ;  for  Mabel's  cheek  was  no  longer  pallid,  but  was  flush 
ed  with  a  holy  enthusiasm,  while  her  blue  eyes  were  upturned 
in  the  light,  in  a  way  to  resemble  a  picture  by  Guido.  At 
these  moments  all  the  honest  and  manly  attachment  of  Path 
finder  glowed  in  his  ingenuous  features,  and  his  gaze  at  our 
heroine  was  such  as  the  fondest  parent  might  fasten  on  the 
child  of  his  love. 

Serjeant  Dunham  laid  his  hand  feebly  on  the  head  of  Ma- 
bel,  as  she  ceased  praying,  and  buried  her  face  in  his  blan 
ket. 

"  Bless  you — my  beloved  child — bless  you—"  he  rather 
38 


446  THE  PATHFINDER* 

whispered  than  uttered  aloud — "  this  is  truly  consolation — 
would  that  I  too  could  pray  !" 

"  Father,  you  know  the  Lord's  prayer— you  taught  it  to 
me  yourself,  while  I  was  yet  an  infant." 

The  Serjeant's  face  gleamed  with  a  smile;  for  he  did 
remember  to  have  discharged  that  portion,  at  least,  of  tho 
paternal  duty ;  and  the  consciousness  of  it  gave  him  incon 
ceivable  gratification  at  that  solemn  moment.  He  was  then 
silent  for  several  minutes,  and  all  present  believed  that  he 
was  communing  with  God. 

"  Mabel — my  child — "  he  at  length  uttered,  in  a  voice  that 
seemed  to  be  reviving — "  Mabel — I  'm  quitting  you." — Tho 
spirit,  at  its  great  and  final  passage,  appears  ever  to  consider 
the  body  as  nothing — "  I  'm  quitting  you,  my  child — where  is 
your  hand  ?" 

"  Here,  dearest  father — here  are  both — oh  !  take  both." 

"  Pathfinder — "  added  the  Serjeant,  feeling  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  bed,  where  Jasper  still  knelt,  and  getting  one  of 
the  hands  of  the  young  man,  by  mistake — "  take  it — I  leave 
you  as  her  father — as  you  and  she  may  please — bless  you — 
bless  you  both — " 

At  that  awful  instant,  no  one  would  rudely  apprise  the  ser 
jeant  of  his  mistake ;  and  he  died  a  minute  or  two  later 
holding  Jasper's  and  Mabel's  hands  covered  by  both  his  own. 
Our  heroine  was  ignorant  of  the  fact,  until  an  exclamation 
of  Cap's  announced  the  death  of  her  father;  when,  raising 
her  face,  she  saw  the  eyes  of  Jasper  riveted  on  her  own,  and 
felt  the  warm  pressure  of  his  hand.  But  a  single  feeling 
was  predominant  at  that  instant;  and  Mabel  withdrew  to 
weep,  scarcely  conscious  of  what  had  occurred.  The  Path 
finder  took  the  arm  of  Eau-douce,  and  he  left  the  block. 

The  two  friends  walked  in  silence  past  the  fire,  along 
the  glade,  and  nearly  reached  the  opposite  shore  of  the  isl 
and,  in  profound  silence.  Here  they  stopped,  and  Pathfinder 
spoke. 

"'Tis  all  over,  Jasper,"  he  said;  "'tis  all  over.  Ah's 
me !  Poor  Sarjeant  Dunham  has  finished  his  march,  and  that 
too,  by  the  hand  of  a  venomous  Mingo.  Well,  we  never 
know  what  is  to  happen,  and  his  luck  may  be  your'n  or 
mine,  to-morrow  or  next  day  !" 

-  And  Mabel !— What  is  to  become  of  Mabel,  Pathfinder  f1 


THE   PATHFINDER.  447 

"  You  heard  the  sarjeant's  dying  words — he  has  left  his 
child  in  my  care,  Jasper ;  and  it  is  a  most  solemn  trust,  it 
is  ;  yes,  it  is  a  most  solemn  trust !" 

"  It  's  a  trust,  Pathfinder,  of  which  any  man  would  be 
glad  to  relieve  you,"  returned  the  youth,  with  a  bitter  smile. 

"  I  've  often  thought  it  has  fallen  into  wrong  hands.  I  'm 
not  consaited,  Jasper ;  I  'm  not  consaited,  I  do  think  I  'm 
not ;  but  if  Mabel  Dunham  is  willing  to  overlook  all  my  im 
perfections  and  ignorances  like,  I  should  be  wrong  to  gainsay 
it,  on  account  of  any  sartainty  I  may  have  myself  about  my 
own  want  of  merit." 

"  No  one  will  blame  you,  Pathfinder,  for  marrying  Mabel 
Dunham,  any  more  than  they  will  blame  you  for  wearing  a 
precious  jewel  in  your  bosom,  that  a  friend  had  freely  given 
you." 

"  Do  you  think  they  '11  blame  Mabel,  lad  ? — I  've  had  my 
misgivings  about  that,  too ;  for  all  persons  may  not  be  as  dis 
posed  to  look  at  me  with  the  same  eyes  as  you  and  the  sar 
jeant's  daughter."  Jasper  Eau-douce  started,  as  a  man  flinches 
at  sudden  bodily  pain ;  but  he  otherwise  maintained  his  self- 
command. — "  And  mankind  is  envious  and  ill-natured,  more 
particularly  in  and  about  the  garrisons.  I  sometimes  wish, 
Jasper,  that  Mabel  could  have  taken  a  fancy  to  you,  I  do ; 
and  that  you  had  taken  a  fancy  to  her ;  for  it  often  seems  to 
me,  that  one  like  you,  after  all,  might  make  her  happier  than 
I  ever  can." 

"  We  will  not  talk  about  this,  Pathfinder,"  interrupted  Jas- 
.per,  hoarsely  and  impatiently — "you  will  be  Mabel's  hus 
band,  and  it  is  not  right  to  speak  of  any  one  else  in  that 
character.  As  for  me,  I  shall  take  Master  Cap's  advice,  and 
try  and  make  a  man  of  myself,  by  seeing  what  is  to  be  done 
on  the  salt-water." 

"  You,  Jasper  Western ! — you  quit  the  lakes,  the  forests, 
and  the  lines ;  and  this,  too,  for  the  towns  and  wasty  ways 
of  the  settlements,  and  a  little  difference  in  the  taste  of  the 
water.  Haven't  we  the  salt-licks,  if  salt  is  necessary  to 
you  ?  and  oughtn't  man  to  be  satisfied  with  what  contents  the 
other  creatur's  of  God  ?  I  counted  on  you,  Jasper — I  count- 
ed  on  you,  I  did — and  thought,  now  that  Mabel  and  I  intend 
to  dwell  in  a  cabin  of  our  own,  that  some  day  you  might  be 
tempted  to  choose  a  companion,  too,  and  come  and  settle  in 


448  THE    PATHFINDER. 

our  neighbourhood.  There  is  a  beautiful  spot,  about  fifty 
miles  west  of  the  garrison,  that  I  had  chosen  in  my  mind, 
for  my  own  place  of  abode ;  and  there  is  an  excellent  har 
bour  about  ten  leagues  this  side  of  it,  where  you  could  run 
m  and  out,  with  the  cutter,  at  any  leisure  minute ;  and  I  'd 
even  fancied  you,  and  your  wife,  in  possession  of  the  one 
place,  and  Mabel  and  I  in  possession  of  t'other.  We  should 
be  just  a  healthy  hunt  apart ;  and  if  the  Lord  ever  intends  any 
of  his  creatures  to  be  happy  on  'arth,  none  could  be  happier 
than  we  four." 

"  You  forget,  my  friend,"  answered  Jasper,  taking  tho 
guide's  hand,  and  forcing  a  friendly  smile,  "  that  I  have  no 
fourth  person  to  love  and  cherish ;  and  I  much  doubt  if  I 
ever  shall  love  any  other,  as  I  love  you  and  Mabel." 

" Thank 'ee,  boy;  I  thank  you  with  all  my  heart — but 
what  you  call  love  for  Mabel,  is  only  friendship,  like,  and  a 
very  different  thing  from  what  I  feel.  Now,  instead  of  sleep 
ing  as  sound  as  natur'  at  midnight,  as  I  used  to  could,  I  dream 
nightly  of  Mabel  Dunham.  The  young  does  sport  before 
me ;  and  when  I  raise  Killdeer,  in  order  to  take  a  little  veni 
son,  the  animals  look  back,  and  it  seems  as  if  they  all  had 
Mabel's  sweet  countenance,  laughing  in  my  face,  and  looking 
as  if  they  said,  '  shoot  me  if  you  dare  !'  Then  I  hear  ner 
soft  voice  calling  out  among  the  birds  as  they  sing ;  and  no 
later  than  the  last  nap  I  took,  I  bethought  me,  in  fancy,  of 
going  over  the  Niagara,  holding  Mabel  in  my  arms,  rather 
than  part  from  her.  The  bitterest  moments  I  've  ever  known, 
were  them  in  which  the  devil,  or  some  Mingo  conjurer,  per 
haps,  has  just  put  into  my  head  to  fancy  in  dreams  that  Mabel 
is  lost  to  me,  by  some  unaccountable  calamity— either  by 
changefulness,  or  by  violence." 

"  Oh !  Pathfinder,  if  you  think  this  so  bitter  in  a  dream, 
what  must  it  be  to  one  who  feels  its  reality,  and  knows  it  all 
to  be  true — true — true.  So  true,  as  to  leave  no  hope;  to 
leave  nothing  but  despair !" 

These  words  burst  from  Jasper,  as  a  fluid  pours  from  the 
vessel  that  has  been  suddenly  broken.  They  were  uttered 
involuntarily,  almost  unconsciously,  but  with  a  truth  and  feel 
ing,  that  carried  with  them  the  instant  conviction  of  their 
deep  sincenty  Pathfinder  started,  gazed  at  his  friend  for 
quite  a  minute,  like  one  bewildered ;  and  then  it  was,  tii&t,  in 


THE    PATHFINDER.  449 

despite  of  all  his  simplicity,  the  truth  gleamed  upon  him  All 
know  how  corroborating  proofs  crowd  upon  the  mind,  as 
soon  as  it  catches  a  direct  clue  to  any  hitherto  unsuspected 
fact;  how  rapidly  the  thoughts  flow,  and  premises  tend 
to  their  just  conclusions,  under  such  circumstances.  Our 
hero  was  so  confiding  by  nature,  so  just,  and  so  much  dispo 
sed  to  imagine  that  all  his  friends  wished  him  the  same  hap 
piness  as  he  wished  them,  that,  until  this  unfortunate  moment, 
a  suspicion  of  Jasper's  attachment  for  Mabel  had  never  been 
awakened  in  his  bosom.  He  was,  however,  now  too  expe 
rienced  in  the  emotions  that  characterize  the  passion  ;  and 
the  burst  of  feeling  in  his  companion  was  too  violent,  and  too 
natural,  to  leave  any  further  doubt  on  the  subject.  The  feel 
ing  that  first  followed  this  change  of  opinion,  was  one  of 
deep  humility  and  exquisite  pain.  He  bethought  him  of 
Jasper's  youth,  his  higher  claims  to  personal  appearance, 
and  all  the  general  probabilities  that  such  a  suitor  would  be 
more  agreeable  to  Mabel,  than  he  could  possibly  be,  himself. 
Then  the  noble  rectitude  of  mind,  for  which  the  man  was  so 
distinguished,  asserted  its  power  ;  it  was  sustained  by  his  re 
buked  manner  of  thinking  of  himself,  and  all  that  jhabitual 
deference  for  the  rights  qnd  feelings__of  others, 


ed  to  be  inbred  in  his  very  nature.     Taking  the  arm  of 
per,Tie~led  him  to  a  log,  where  he  compelled  the  young  man 
to  seat  himself,  by  a  sort  of  irresistible  exercise  of  his  iron 
muscles,  and  where  he  placed  himself  at  his  side. 

The  instant  his  feelings  had  found  vent,  Eau-douce  was 
both  alarmed  at,  and  ashamed  of,  their  violence.  He  would 
have  given  all  he  possessed  on  earth,  could  the  last  three 
minutes  be  recalled,  but  he  was  too  frank  by  disposition,  and 
too  much  accustomed  to  deal  ingenuously  by  his  friend,  to 
think  a  moment,  of  attempting  further  concealment,  or  of  any 
evasion  of  the  explanation  that  he  knew  was  about  to  be  de 
manded.  Even  while  he  trembled  in  anticipation  of  what 
was  about  to  follow,  he  never  contemplated  equivocation. 

"  Jasper,"  Pathfinder  commenced,  in  a  tone  so  solemn  as 
to  thrill  on  every  nerve  in  his  listener's  body,  "  this  has 
surprised  me  !  You  have  kinder  feelings  towards  Mabel, 
than  I  had  thought  ;  and,  unless  my  own  mistaken  vanity 
and  consait  have  cruelly  deceived  me,  I  pity  you,  boy,  from 
my  soul,  I  do  !  Yes,  I  think,  I  know  how  to  pity  any  one, 
38* 


450 


THE    PATHFINDER. 


who  has  set  his  heart  on  a  creature  like  Mabel,  unless 
he  sees  a  prospect  of  her  regarding  him,  as  he  regards  her. 
This  matter  must  be  cleared  up,  Eau-douce,  as  the  Delawarea 
say,  until  there  shall  not  be  a  cloud  atween  us." 

"  What  clearing  up  can  it  want,  Pathfinder  ?  I  love  Ma- 
bel  Dunham,  and  Mabel  Dunham  does  not  love  me — she 
prefers  you  for  a  husband ;  and  the  wisest  thing  I  can  do,  is 
to  go  off  at  once,  to  the  salt-water,  and  try  to  forget  you 
ooth. 

"  Forget  me,  Jasper ! — that  would  be  a  punishment  I  don't 
desarve.  But,  how  do  you  know  that  Mabel  prefars  me? 
—how  do  you  know  it,  lad?  to  me  it  seems  impossible,  like!" 

"  Is  she  not  to  marry  you,  and  would  Mabel  marry  a  man 
she  does  not  love?" 

"  She  has  been  hard  urged  by  the  sarjeant,  she  has  ;  and 
a  dutiful  child  may  have  found  it  difficult  to  withstand  the 
wishes  of  a  dying  parent.  Have  you  ever  told  Mabel,  that 
you  prefarred  her,  Jasper;  that  you  bore  her  these  feelings?" 

"  Never— Pathfinder — I  would  not  do  you  that  wrong  !" 

"  I  believe  you,  lad,  I  do  believe  you ;  and  I  think  you 
would  now  go.  off  to  the  salt-water,  and  let  the  scent  die  with 
you.  But  this  must  not  be.  Mabel  shall  hear  all,  and  she 
shall  have  her  own  way,  if  my  heart  breaks  in  the  trial,  she 
shall.  No  words  have  ever  passed  atween  von,  then  Jas 
per?" 

"  Nothing  of  account — nothing  direct.  Still,  I  will  own 
all  my  foolishness,  Pathfinder,  for  I  ought  to  own  it  to  u 
generous  friend  like  you,  and  there  will  be  an  end  of  it. 
You  know  how  young  people  understand  each  other,  or  think 
they  understand  each  other,  without  always  speaking  out  in 
plain  speech  ,*  and  get  to  know  each  other's  thoughts,  or  to 
think  they  know  them,  by  means  of  a  hundred  little  ways?" 

"  Not  I,  Jasper,  not  I,"  truly  answered  the  guide ;  for, 
sooth  to  say,  his  advances  had  never  been  met  with  any  of 
that  sweet  and  precious  encouragement  that  silently  marks 
the  course  of  sympathy  united  to  passion.  "  Not  I,  Jasper 
— I  know  nothing  of  all  this.  Mabel  has  always  treated  me 
fairly,  and  said  what  she  has  had  to  say,  in  speech  as  plain 
as  tongue  could  tell  it." 

"  You  have  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  her  say  that  she 
saved  you,  Pathfinder?" 


THE   PATHFINDER.  451 

"  Why  no,  Jasper,  not  just  that,  in  words.  She  has  told 
me  that  we  never  could — never  ought  to  be  married ;  that 
she  was  not  good  enough  for  me;  though  she  did  say  that 
she  honoured  me,  and  respected  me.  But  then  the  sarjeant 
said  it  was  always  so  with  the  youthful  and  timid, — that  her 
mother  did  so,  and  said  so,  afore  her ;  and  that  I  ought  to 
be  satisfied  if  she  would  consent,  on  any  terms,  to  marry 
me :  and,  therefore,  I  have  concluded  that  all  was  right,  I 
have." 

In  spite  of  all  his  friendship  for  the  successful  wooer — in 
spite  of  ail  his  honest,  sincere  wishes  for  his  happiness,  we 
should  be  unfaithful  chroniclers,  did  we  not  own  that  Jasper 
felt  his  heart  bound  with  an  uncontrollable  feeling  of  delight, 
at  this  admission.  It  was  not  that  he  saw  or  felt  any  hope 
connected  with  the  circumstance ;  but  it  was  grateful  to  the 
jealous  covetousness  of  unlimited  love,  thus  to  learn  that  no 
other  ears  had  heard  the  sweet  confessions  that  were  denied 
its  own. 

'*  Tell  me  more  of  this  manner  of  talking  without  the  use 
of  the  tongue,"  continued  Pathfinder,  whose  countenance  was 
getting  to  be  grave,  and  who  now  questioned  his  companion, 
like  one  that  seemed  to  anticipate  evil  in  the  reply.  "  I  can 
and  have  conversed  with  Chingachgook,  and  with  his  son 
Uncas,  too,  in  that  mode,  afore  the  latter  fell ;  but  I  didn't 
know  that  young  girls  practysed  this  art;  and,  least  of  all, 
Mabel  Dunham !" 

"  'Tis  nothing,  Pathfinder.  I  mean  only  a  look,  or  a 
smile,  or  a  glance  of  the  eye,  or  the  trembling  of  an  arm,  01 
a  hand,  when  the  young  woman  has  had  occasion  to  touch 
me ;  and  because  I  have  been  weak  enough  to  tremble  even 
at  Mabel's  breath,  or  her  brushing  me  with  her  clothes,  my 
vain  thoughts  have  misled  me.  I  never  spoke  plainly  to  Ma 
bel,  myself;  and  now  there  is  no  use  for  it,  since  there  is 
clearly  no  hope." 

"  Jasper,"  returned  Pathfinder,  simply,  but  with  a  dignity 
vhat  precluded  farther  remarks  at  the  moment,  "  we  will  talk 
of  the  sarjeant's  funeral,  and  of  our  own  departure  from  this 
\sland.  After  these  things  are  disposed  of,  it  will  be  time 
enough  to  say  more  of  the  sarjeant's  daughter.  This  mat- 
rer  must  be  looked  into  ;  for  the  father  left  me  the  care  of  his 
child." 


452  THE    PATHFINDER. 

Jasper  was  glad  enough  to  change  the  subject ,  and  the 
friends  separated,  each  charged  with  the  duty  most  peculiar 
to  his  own  station  and  habits. 

That  afternoon  all  the  dead  were  interred — the  grave  of 
Serjeant  Dunham  being  dug  in  the  centre  of  the  glade,  be 
neath  the  shade  of  a  huge  elm.  Mabel  wept  bitterly  at  the 
ceremony,  and  she  found  relief  in  thus  disburthening  her 
sorrow.  The  night  passed  tranquilly,  as  did  the  whole  of 
the  following  day ;  Jasper  declaring  that  the  gale  was  too 
severe  to  venture  on  the  lake.  This  circumstance  detained 
Captain  Sanglier,  also ;  who  did  not  quit  the  island  until  the 
morning  of  the  third  day  after  the  death  of  Dunham ;  when 
the  weather  had  moderated,  and  the  wind  had  become  fair. 
Then,  indeed,  he  departed,  after  taking  leave  of  the  Path 
finder,  in  the  manner  of  one  who  believed  he  was  in  company 
of  a  distinguished  character,  for  the  last  time.  The  two 
separated  like  those  who  respect  one  another,  while  each  felt 
that  the  other  was  an  enigma  to  himself. 


CHAPTEK  XXIX. 

"Playful  she  turned,  that  he  might  see 

The  passing  smile  her  cheek  put  on; 
But  when  she  marked  how  mournfully 
His  eyes  met  hers,  that  smile  was  gone." 

LALLA  ROOKH. 

THE  occurrences  of  the  last  few  days  had  been  too  ex 
citing,  and  had  made  too  many  demands  on  the  fortitude  of 
our  heroine,  to  leave  her  in  the  helplessness  of  grief.  She 
mourned  for  her  father,  and  she  occasionally  shuddered,  as 
she  recalled  the  sudden  death  of  Jennie,  and  all  the  horrible 
scenes  she  had  witnessed  ;  but,  on  the  whole,  she  had  aroused 
herself,  and  was  no  longer  in  the  deep  depression  that  usu 
ally  accompanies  grief.  Perhaps  the  overwhelming,  almost 
stupefying  sorrow  that  crushed  poor  June,  and  left  her  for 
nearly  twenty-four  hours  in  a  state  of  stupor,  assisted  Mabe1 
in  conquering  her  own  feelings,  for  she  had  felt  called  on  to 


THE    PATHFINDER.  453 

administer  consolation  to  the  young  Indian  woman.  This 
she  had  done,  in  the  quiet,  soothing,  insinuating  way,  in 
which  her  sex  usually  exerts  its  influence,  on  such  occasions. 

The  morning  of  the  third  day  was  set  for  that  on  which 
the  Scud  was  to  sail.  Jasper  had  made  all  his  preparations  ; 
the  different  effects  were  embarked,  and  Mabel  had  taken 
leave  of  June — a  painful  and  affectionate  parting.  In  a  word, 
all  was  ready,  and  every  soul  had  left  the  island  but  the 
Indian  woman,  Pathfinder,  Jasper,  and  our  heroine.  The 
former  had  gone  into  a  thicket  to  weep,  and  the  three  last 
were  approaching  the  spot  where  three  canoes  lay ;  one  of 
which  was  the  property  of  June,  and  the  other  two  were  in 
waiting  to  carry  the  others  off  to  the  Scud.  Pathfinder  led 
the  way,  but,  when  he  drew  near  the  shore,  instead  of  taking 
the  direction  to  the  boats,  he  motioned  to  his  companions  to 
follow,  and  proceeded  to  a  fallen  tree,  that  lay  on  the  margin 
of  the  glade,  and  out  of  view  of  those  in  the  cutter.  Seat 
ing  himself  on  the  trunk,  he  signed  to  Mabel  to  take  her 
place  on  one  side  of  him,  and  to  Jasper  to  occupy  the  other. 

"  Sit  down  here,  Mabel ;  sit  down  there,  Eau-douce,"  he 
commenced,  as  soon  as  he  had  taken  his  own  seat ;  "  I  've 
something  that  lies  heavy  on  my  mind,  and  now  is  the  time 
to  take  it  off,  if  it 's  ever  to  be  done.  Sit  down,  Mabel,  and 
let  me  lighten  my  heart,  if  not  my  conscience,  while  I  've 
the  strength  to  do  it." 

The  pause  that  succeeded,  lasted  two  or  three  minutes,  and 
both  the  young  people  wondered  what  was  to  come  next, — 
the  idea  that  Pathfinder  could  have  any  weight  on  his  con 
science,  seeming  equally  improbable  to  each. 

"  Mabel,"  our  hero  at  length  resumed,  "  we  must  talk 
plainly  to  each  other,  afore  we  join  your  uncle  in  the  cutter, 
where  the  Salt-water  has  slept  every  night  since  the  last 
rally ;  for  he  says  it 's  the  only  place  in  which  a  man  can  be 
sure  of  keeping  the  hair  on  his  head,  he  does — Ah 's  me ! 
what  have  I  to  do  with  these  follies  and  sayings,  now?  I  try 
to  be  pleasant,  and  to  feel  light-hearted,  but  the  power  of  man 
can't  make  water  run  up  stream.  Mabel,  you  know  that  tho 
sarjeant,  afore  he  left  us,  had  settled  it  atween  us  two,  that 
we  were  to  become  man  and  wife,  and  that  we  were  to  live 
together,  and  to  love  one  another  as  long  as  the  Lord  was 
pleased  to  keep  us  both  on  'arth ;  yes,  and  afterwards,  too  ?" 


454  THE    PATHFINDER. 

Mabel's  cheeks  had  regained  a  little  of  their  ancient  bloom, 
in  the  fresh  air  of  the  morning ;  but  at  this  unlooked-for  ad 
dress  they  blanched  again,  nearly  to  the  pallid  hue  which 
grief  had  imprinted  there.  Still  she  looked  kindly,  though 
seriously,  at  Pathfinder,  and  even  endeavoured  to  force  a 
smile. 

"  Very  true,  my  excellent  friend," — she  answered — "  this 
was  my  poor  father's  wish,  and  I  feel  certain  that  a  whole 
life  devoted  to  your  welfare  and  comforts,  could  scarcely  re 
pay  you  for  all  you  have  done  for  us." 

"  I  fear  me,  Mabel,  that  man  and  wife  needs  be  bound  to 
gether  by  a  stronger  tie  than  such  feelings,  I  do.  You  have 
done  nothing  for  me,  or  nothing  of  any  account,  and  yet  my 
very  heart  yearns  towards  you,  it  does ;  and  therefore  it 
seems  likely  that  these  feelings  come  from  something  besides 
saving  scalps  and  guiding  through  woods." 

Mabel's  cheek  had  begun  to  glow  again ;  and,  though  she 
struggled  hard  to  smile,  her  voice  trembled  a  little,  as  she 
answered. 

"  Had  we  not  better  postpone  this  conversation,  Path 
finder?"  she  said;  "  we  are  not  alone;  and  nothing  is  so 
unpleasant  to  a  listener,  they  say,  as  family  matters  in  which 
he  feels  no  interest." 

"  It 's  because  we  are  not  alone,  Mabel,  or  rather  because 
Jasper  is  with  us,  that  I  wish  to  talk  of  this  matter.  The 
sarjeant  b«lieved  I  might  make  a  suitable  companion  for 
you ;  and,  though  I  had  misgivings  about  it — yes,  I  had 
many  misgivings — he  finally  persuaded  me  into  the  idee,  and 
things  came  round  atween  us,  as  you  know.  But,  when  you 
promised  your  father  to  marry  me,  Mabel,  and  gave  me  youi 
hand,  so  modestly,  but  so  prettily,  there  was  one  circum 
stance,  as  your  uncle  called  it,  that  you  didn't  know ;  and 
I  Ve  thought  it  right  to  tell  you  what  it  is,  before  matters  are 
finally  settled.  I  've  often  taken  a  poor  deer  for  my  dinner, 
when  good  venison  was  not  to  be  found ;  but  it 's  as  nat'ral 
not  to  take  up  with  the  worst,  when  the  best  may  be  had." 

"  You  speak  in  a  way,  Pathfinder,  that  is  difficult  to  be 
understood.  If  this  conversation  is  really  necessary,  I  trust 
you  will  be  more  plain." 

"'  Well,  then,  Mabel,  I  Ve  been  thinking  it  was  quite 
likely  when  you  gave  in  to  the  sarjcant's  wishes,  that  you 


THE   PATHIINDER.  455 

did  not  know  the  natur'  of  Jasper  Western's  feelings  towards 
you?" 

"  Pathfinder !" — and  Mabel's  cheek  now  paled  to  the  livid 
hue  of  death ;  then  it  flushed  to  the  tint  of  crimson  ;  and  her 
whole  frame  shuddered.  Pathfinder,  however,  was  too  in 
tent  on  his  own  object,  to  notice  this  agitation ;  and  Eau- 
douce  had  hidden  his  face  in  his  hands,  in  time  to  shut  out 
its  view.  • 

"  I  've  been  talking  with  the  lad  ;  and,  on  comparing  his 
dreams  with  my  dreams,  his  feelings  with  my  feelings,  and 
his  wishes  with  my  wishes,  I  fear  we  think  too  much  alike, 
concerning  you,  for  both  of  us  to  be  very  happy." 

"  Pathfinder — you  forget — you  should  remember  that  we 
are  betrothed !"  said  Mabel,  hastily,  and  in  a  voice  so  low, 
that  it  required  acute  attention  in  the  listeners  to  catch  tho 
syllables.  Indeed,  the  last  word  was  not  quite  intelligible  to 
the  guide,  and  he  confessed  his  ignorance  by  the  usual 

"Anan?" 

"  You  forget  that  we  are  to  be  married  ,*  and  such  allu 
sions  are  improper,  as  well  as  painful." 

"  Every  thing  is  proper  that  is  right,  Mabel ;  and  every 
thing  is  right  that  leads  to  justice  and  fair  dealing :  though 
it  is  painful  enough,  as  you  say ;  as  I  find  on  trial,  I  do. 
Now,  Mabel,  had  you  known  that  Eau-douce  thinks  of  you 
in  this  way,  maybe  you  never  would  have  consented  to  be 
married  to  one  as  old  and  as  uncomely  as  I  am." 

"  Why  this  cruel  trial,  Pathfinder  ?  To  what  can  all  this 
lead  ?  Jasper  Western  thinks  no  such  thing : '  he  says  no 
thing — he  feels  nothing." 

"  Mabel !"  burst  from  out  of  the  young  man's  lips,  in  a  way 
to  betray  the  uncontrollable  nature  of  his  emotions,  though  he 
uttered  not  another  syllable. 

Mabel  buried  her  face  in  both  her  hands ;  and  the  two  sat 
like  a  pair  of  guilty  beings,  suddenly  detected  in  the  conmis- 
sion  of  some  crime  that  involved  the  happiness  of  a  common 
patron.  At  that  instant,  perhaps,  Jasper  himself  was  inclined 
to  deny  his  passion,  through  an  extreme  unwillingness  to 
grieve  his  friend;  while  Mabel,  on  whom  this  positive  an 
nouncement  of  a  fact  that  she  had  rather  unconsciously 
hoped  than  believed,  came  so  unexpectedly,  felt  her  mind 
momentarily  bewildered ;  and  she  scarce  knew  whether  to 


456  %  THE    PATHFINDER. 

weep  or  to  rejoice.  Still  she  was  the  first  to  speak ;  since 
Eau-douce  could  utter  naught  that  would  be  disingenuous,  or 
that  would  pain  his  friend. 

"  Pathfinder,"  she  said,  "  you  talk  wildly.  Why  mention 
this  at  all  ?" 

"  Well,  Mabel,  if  I  talk  wildly,!  am  half  wild,  you  know; 
by  natur',  I  fear,  as  well  as  by  habit."  As  he  said  this,  ho 
endeavoured  to^laugh  in  his  usual  noiseless  way,  but  the  ef 
fect  produced  a  strange  and  discordant  sound;  and  it  ap 
peared  nearly  to  choke  him.  "  Yes,  I  must  be  wild ;  I  '11  not 
attempt  to  deny  it." 

"  Dearest  Pathfinder ! — my  best,  almost  my  only  friend  ! 
you  cannot,  do  not  think  I  intended  to  say  that !"  interrupted 
Mabel,  almost  breathless  in  her  haste  to  relieve  his  morti 
fication — "  If  courage,  truth,  nobleness  of  soul  and  conduct, 
unyielding  principles  and  a  hundred  other  excellent  qualities 
can  render  any  man  respectable,  esteemed,  or  beloved,  your 
claims  are  inferior  to  those  of  no  other  human  being." 

"  What  tender  and  bewitching  voices  they  have,  Jasper !" 
resumed  the  guide,  now  laughing  freely  and  naturally — 
"  Yes,  natur'  seems  to  have  made  them  on  purpose  to  sing 
in  our  ears,  when  the  music  of  the  woods  is  silent !  But  we 
must  come  to  a  right  understanding,  we  must.  I  ask  you 
again,  Mabel,  if  you  had  known  that  Jasper  Western  loves 
you  as  well  as  I  do,  or  better  perhaps — though  that  is  scarce 
possible, — that  in  his  dreams  he  sees  your  face  in  the  water 
of  the  lake ;  that  he  talks  to  you,  and  of  you,  in  his  sleep  ; 
fancies  all  that  is  beautiful  like  Mabel  Dunham,  and  all  that 
is  good  and  virtuous ;  believes  he  never  knowed  happiness 
until  he  knowed  you ;  could  kiss  the  ground  on  which  you 
have  trod,  and  forgets  all  the  joys  of  his  calling,  to  think  of 
you  and  of  the  delight  of  gazing  at  your  beauty,  and  in  listening 
to  your  voice,  would  you  then  have  consented  to  marry  me?" 

Mabel  could  not  have  answered  this  question,  if  sho 
would,  but,  though  her  face  was  buried  in  her  hands,  the  tint 
of  the  rushing  blood  wete  visible  between  the  openings,  and 
the  suffusion  seemed  to  impart  itself  to  her  very  fingers. 
Still  nature  asserted  her  power,  for  there  was  a  single  instant 
when  the  astonished,  almost  terrified  girl  stole  a  glance  at 
Jasper,  as  if  distrusting  Pathfinder's  history  of  his  feelings, 
read  the  truth  of  all  he  said  in  that  furtive  look,  and  instantly 


THE    PATHFINDER.  457 

concealed  her  face  again,  as  if  she  would  hide  it  from  obser 
vation  for  ever. 

"  Take  time  to  think,  Mabel,"  the  guide  continued,  "  for  it 
is  a  solemn  thing  to  accept  one  man  for  a  husband,  while  the 
thoughts  and  wishes  lead  to  another.  Jasper  and  I  have 
talked  this  matter  over,  freely  and  like  old  friends,  and  though 
I  always  knowed  that  we  viewed  most  things  pretty  much 
alike,  I  couldn't  have  thought  that  we  regarded  any  particu 
lar  object  with  the  very  same  eyes,  as  it  might  be,  until  we 
opened  our  minds  to  each  other  about  you.  Now,  Jasper 
owns  that  the  very  first  time  he  beheld  you,  he  thought  you 
the  sweetest  and  winningestest  creatur'  he  had  ever  met ;  that 
your  voice  sounded  like  murmuring  water  in  his  ears ;  that 
he  fancied  his  sails  were  your  garments,  fluttering  in  the 
wind ;  that  your  laugh  haunted  him  in  his  sleep ;  and  that, 
ag'in  and  ag'in,  has  he  started  up  affrighted,  because  he  has 
fancied  some  one  wanted  to  force  you  out  of  the  Scud,  where 
he  imagined  you  had  taken  up  your  abode.  Nay,  the  lad  has 
even  acknowledged  that  he  often  weeps,  at  the  thought  that 
you  are  likely  to  spend  your  days  with  another,  and  not  with 
him." 

"  Jasper !" 

"  It's  solemn  truth,  Mabel,  and  it's  right  you  should  know 
it.  Now  stand  up,  and  choose  atween  us.  I  do  believe  Eau- 
douce  loves  you  as  well  as  I  do  myself;  he  has  tried  to  per 
suade  me  that  he  loves  you  better,  but  that  I  will  not  allow, 
for  I  do  not  think  it  possible ;  but  I  will  own  the  boy  loves 
you,  heart  and  soul,  and  he  has  a  good  right  to  be  heard. 
The  sarjeant  left  me  your  protector,  and  not  your  tyrant.  I 
told  him  that  I  would  be  a  father  to  you,  as  well  as  a  hus 
band,  and  it  seems  to  me  no  feeling  father  would  deny  his 
child  this  small  privilege.  Stand  up,  Mabel,  therefore,  and 
speak  your  thoughts  as  freely  as  if  I  were  the  sarjeant  him 
self,  seeking  your  good,  and  nothing  else." 

Mabel  dropped  her  hands,  arose,  and  stood  face  to  face 
with  her  two  suitors,  though  the  flush  that  was  on  her  cheeks 
was  feverish,  the  evidence  of  excitement,  rather  than  of 
shame. 

"  What  would  you  have,  Pathfinder?"  she  asked :  " Have 
I  not  already  promised  my  poor  father  to  do  all  you  desire?' 

"  Then  I  desire  this.     Here  I  stand,  a  man  of  the  forest 
39 


458  THE    PATHFINDER. 

and  of  little  laming,  though  I  fear  with  an  ambition  beyond 
my  desarts,  and  I'll  do  my  endivours  to  do  justice  to  both 
sides.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  allowed  that  so  far  as  feelings 
in  your  behalf  are  consarned,  we  love  you  just  the  same; 
Jasper  thinks  his  feelings  must  be  the  strongest,  but  this  I 
cannot  say,  in  honesty,  for  it  doesn't  seem  to  me  that  it  can 
be  true ;  else  I  would  frankly  and  freely  confess  it,  I  would. 
So  in  this  particular,  Mabel,  we  are  here  before  you,  on  equal 
tarms.  As  for  myself,  being  the  oldest,  I  '11  first  say  what 
little  can  be  produced  in  my  favour,  as  well  as  ag'in  it.  As 
a  hunter,  I  do  think  there  is  no  man  near  the  lines  that  can 
outdo  me.  If  venison,  or  bear's  meat,  or  even  birds  and  fish, 
should  ever  be  scarce  in  our  cabin,  it  would  be  more  likely 
to  be  owing  to  natur'  arid  Providence,  than  to  any  fault  of 
mine.  In  short,  it  does  seem  to  me,  that  the  woman  who  de 
pended  on  me,  would  never  be  likely  to  want  for  food.  But, 
I  'm  fearful  ignorant !  It 's  true,  I  speak  several  tongues, 
such  as  they  be,  while  I  'm  very  far  from  being  expart  at  my 
own.  Then,  my  years  are  greater  than  your  own,  Mabel  ; 
and  the  circumstance  that  I  was  so  long  the  sarjeant's  com 
rade,  can  be  no  great  merit  in  your  eyes.  I  wish,  too,  I  was 
more  comely,  I  do;  but  we  are  all  as  natur'  made  us,  and 
the  last  thing  that  a  man  ought  to  lament,  except  on  very 
special  occasions,  is  his  looks.  When  ail  is  remembered, 
age,  looks,  laming  and  habits,  Mabel,  conscience  tells  me  I 
ought  to  confess  that  I  'm  altogether  unfit  for  you,  if  not 
downright  unworthy ;  and  I  would  give  up  the  hope,  this 
minute,  I  would,  if  I  didn't  feel  something  pulling  at  my 
heart  strings  which  seems  hard  to  undo." 

"  Pathfinder  !  —  noble,  generous  Pathfinder  !" — cried  our 
heroine,  seizing  his  hand,  and  kissing  it  with  a  species  of 
holy  reverence;  "yu  do  yourself  injustice — you  forget  my 
poor  father  and  youi  promise — you  do  not  know  me  /" 

"  Now,  here 's  Jasper,"  continued  the  guide,  without  allow- 
ing  the  girl's  caresses  to  win  him  from  his  purpose ;  "  with 
him,  the  case  is  different.  In  the  way  of  providing,  as  in 
that  of  loving,  there's  not  much  to  choose  atween  us,  for 
the  lad  is  frugal,  industrious  and  careful.  Then  he  is  quite 
a  scholar — knows  the  tongue  of  the  Frenchers — reads  many 
books,  and  some,  I  know,  that  you  like  to  read  yourself— 


THE    PATHFIXDER.  459 

can  understand  you  at  all  times,  which,  perhaps,  is  more 
than  I  can  say  for  myself." 

"What  of  all  this"  —  interrupted  Mabel,  impatiently  — 
"  why  speak  of  it  now — why  speak  of  it,  at  all  ?" 

"  Then  the  lad  has  a  manner  of  letting  his  thoughts  bo 
known,  that  I  fear  I  can  never  equal.  If  there's  any  thing 
on  'arth  that  would  make  my  tongue  bold  and  persuading, 
Mabel,  I  do  think  it 's  yourself;  and  yet,  in  our  late  con 
versations,  Jasper  has  outdone  me,  even  on  this  point,  in  a 
way  to  make  me  ashamed  of  myself.  He  has  told  me  how 
simple  you  were,  and  how  true-hearted,  and  kind-hearted  ; 
and  how  you  looked  down  upon  vanities,  for  though  you 
might  be  the  wife  of  more  than  one  officer,  as  he  thinks,  that 
you  cling  to  feeling,  and  would  rather  be  true  to  yourself, 
and  natur',  than  a  colonel's  lady.  He  fairly  made  my 
blood  warm,  he  did,  when  he  spoke  of  your  having  beauty 
without  seeming  ever  to  have  looked  upon  it,  and  the  manner 
in  which  you  moved  about  like  a  young  fa'an,  so  nat'ral  and 
graceful  like,  without  knowing  it ;  and  the  truth  and  justice 
of  your  idees,  and  the  warmth  and  generosity  of  your 
heart—" 

"  Jasper !"  interrupted  Mabel,  giving  way  to  feelings  that 
had  gathered  an  ungovernable  force  by  being  so  long  pent, 
and  falling  into  the  young  man's  willing  arms,  weeping  like 
a  child,  and  almost  as  helpless.  "  Jasper ! — Jasper ! — why 
have  you  kept  this  from  me  ?" 

The  answer  of  Eau-douce  was  not  very  intelligible,  nor 
was  the  murmured  dialogue  that  followed,  remarkable  for  co 
herency.  But  the  language  of  affection  is  easily  understood. 
The  hour  that  succeeded,  passed  like  a  very  few  minutes  of 
ordinary  life,  so  far  as  a  computation  of  time  was  con 
cerned  ;  and  when  Mabel  recollected  herself,  and  bethought 
her  of  the  existence  of  others,  her  uncle  was  pacing  the  cut 
ter's  deck  in  great  impatience,  and  wondering  why  Jasper 
should  be  losing  so  much  of  a  favourable  wind.  Her  first 
thought  was  of  him,  who  was  so  likely  to  feel  the  recent  be 
trayal  of  her  real  emotions. 

"  Oh !  Jasper !"  she  exclaimed,  like  one  suddenly  self- 
convicted—"  the  Pathfinder !" 

Eau-douce  fairly  trembled,  not  with  unmanly  apprehen 
sion,  but  with  the  painful  conviction  of  the  pang  he  had  given 


460  THE    PATHFINDER. 

his  friend ;  and  he  looked  in  all  directions,  in  the  expecta 
tion  of  seeing  his  person.  But  Pathfinder  had  withdrawn, 
with  a  tact  and  a  delicacy,  that  might  have  done  credit  to 
the  sensibility  and  breeding  of  a  courtier.  For  several 
minutes  the  two  lovers  sate,  silently  waiting  his  return,  un 
certain  what  propriety  required  of  them,  under  circumstances 
so  marked,  and  so  peculiar.  At  length  they  beheld  their 
friend  advancing  slowly  towards  them,  with  a  thoughtful  and 
even  pensive  air. 

"  I  now  understand  what  you  meant,  Jasper,  by  speaking 
without  a  tongue,  and  hearing  without  an  ear,"  he  said,  when 
close  enough  to  the  tree  to  be  heard.  "Yes,  I  understand  it, 
now,  I  do,  and  a  very  pleasant  sort  of  discourse  it  is,  when 
one  can  hold  it  with  Mabel  Dunham.  Ah's  me ! — I  told  the 
sarjeant  I  wasn't  fit  for  her ;  that  I  was  too  old,  too  ignorant, 
and  too  wild,  like — but  he  would  have  it  otherwise." 

Jasper  and  Mabel  sate,  resembling  Milton's  picture  of  our 
first  parents,  when  the  consciousness  of  sin  first  laid  its  leaden 
weight  on  their  souls.  Neither  spoke,  neither  even  moved  ; 
though  both,  at  that  moment,  fancied  they  could  part  with 
their  new-found  happiness,  in  order  to  restore  their  friend  to 
his  peace  of  mind.  Jasper  was  pale  as  death ;  but,  in  Mabel, 
maiden  modesty  had  caused  the  blood  to  mantle  on  her  cheeks, 
until  their  bloom  was  heightened  to  a  richness  that  was  scarce 
equalled  in  her  hours  of  light-hearted  buoyancy  and  joy. 
As  the  feeling,  which,  in  her  sex,  always  accompanies  the 
security  of  love  returned,  threw  its  softness  and  tenderness 
over  her  countenance,  she  was  singularly  beautiful.  Path 
finder  gazed  at  her,  with  an  intentness  he  did  not  endeavour 
to  conceal,  and  then  he  fairly  laughed  in  his  own  way,  and 
with  a  sort  of  wild  exultation,  as  men  that  are  untutored  are 
wont  to  express  their  delight.  This  momentary  indulgence, 
however,  was  expiated  by  the  pang  that  followed  the  sudden 
consciousness  that  this  glorious  young  creature  was  lost  to 
him  for  ever.  It  required  a  full  minute  for  this  simple-mind 
ed  being  to  recover  from  the  shock  of  this  conviction ;  and 
then  he  recovered  his  dignity  of  manner,  speaking  with 
gravity — almost  with  solemnity. 

"  I  have  always  known,  Mabel  Dunham,  that  men  have 
their  gifts,"  he  said;  "but  I'd  forgotten  that  it  did  not 
belong  to  mine,  to  please  the  young,  and  beautiful,  and 


THE    PATHFINDER. 


461 


1'arned.  I  hope  the  mistake  has  been  no  very  heavy  sin ; 
and  if  it  was,  I  've  been  heavily  punished  for  it,  I  have.  Nay, 
Mabel,  I  know  what  you'd  say,  but  it's  unnecessary ;  I  feel 
it  all,  and  that  is  as  good  as  if  I  heard  it  all.  I  've  had  a 
bitter  hour,  Mabel — I  ?ve  had  a  very  bitter  hour,  lad — " 

"  Hour !"  echoed  Mabel,  as  the  other  first  used  the  word , 
the  tell-tale  blood,  which  had  begun  to  ebb  towards  her  heart, 
rushing  again  tumultuously  to  her  very  temples.  "  Surely 
not  an  hour,  Pathfinder !" 

"  Hour !"  exclaimed  Jasper,  at  the  same  instant — "  no — 
no— my  worthy  friend,  it  is  not  ten  minutes  since  you  left 
us!" 

"  Well,  it  may  be  so ;  though  to  me  it  has  seemed  to  be 
a  day.  I  begin  to  think,  however,  that  the  happy  count  time 
by  minutes,  and  the  miserable  count  it  by  months.  But  we 
will  talk  no  more  of  this  ;  it  is  all  over  now,  and  many  words 
about  it,  will  make  you  no  happier,  while  they  will  only  tell 
me  what  I  've  lost ;  and  quite  likely  how  much  I  desarved  to 
lose  her.  No — no — Mabel,  'tis  useless  to  interrupt  me;  I 
admit  it  all,  and  your  gainsaying  it,  though  it  be  so  well 
meant,  cannot  change  my  mind.  Well,  Jasper,  she  is  yours , 
and  though  it's  hard  to  think  it,  I  do  believe  you  '11  make  her 
happier  than  I  could,  for  your  gifts  are  better  suited  to  do  so, 
though  I  would  have  strived  hard  to  do  as  much,  if  I  know 
myself,  I  would.  I  ought  to  have  known  better  than  to  be 
lieve  the  sarjeant ;  and  I  ought  to  have  put  faith  in  what  Ma 
bel  told  me  at  the  head  of  the  lake,  for  reason  and  judgment 
might  have  shown  me  its  truth ;  but  it  is  so  pleasant  to  think 
what  we  wish,  and  mankind  so  easily  over-persuade  us,  when 
we  over-persuade  ourselves.  But  what's  the  use  in  talking 
of  it,  as  I  said  afore?  It's  true,  Mabel  seemed  to  be  consent 
ing,  though  it  all  came  from  a  wish  to  please  her  father,  and 
from  being  skeary  about  the  savages — " 

"  Pathfinder !" 

"  I  understand  you,  Mabel,  and  have  no  hard  feelings,  I 
hav'n't.  I  sometimes  think  I  should  like  to  live  in  your  neigh 
bourhood,  that  I  might  look  at  your  happiness ;  but  on  the 
whole,  it's  better  I  should  quit  the  55th  altogether,  and  go 
back  to  the  60th,  which  is  my  natyve  rijement,  as  it  might 
be.  It  would  have  been  better,  perhaps,  had  I  never  left  it, 
though  my  sarvices  were  much  wanted  in  this  quarter,  and 
39* 


462  THE    PATHFINDER. 

I  'd  been  with  some  of  the  55th,  years  agone — Sarjeant  Dun- 
nam,  for  instance,  when  he  was  in  another  corps.  Stil., 
Jasper,  I  do  not  regret  that  I  Ve  known  you — " 

"  And  me,  Pathfinder !"  impetuously  interrupted  Mabel — 
"  do  you  regret  having  known  me  ? — could  I  think  so,  I  should 
never  be  at  peace  with  myself!" 

"  You,  Mabel !"  returned  the  guide,  taking  the  hand  of  our 
heroine,  and  looking  up  into  her  countenance  with  guileless 
simplicity,  but  earnest  affection — "  how  could  I  be  sorry  that 
a  ray  of  the  sun  came  across  the  gloom  of  a  cheerless  day  ? 
that  light  has  broken  in  upon  darkness,  though  it  remained 
so  short  a  time !  I  do  not  flatter  myself  with  being  able 
to  march  quite  as  light-hearted,  as  I  once  used  to  could,  or 
to  sleep  as  sound,  for  some  time  to  come ;  but  I  shall  always 
remember  how  near  I  was  to  being  undesarvedly  happy,  I 
shall.  So  far  from  blaming  you,  Mabel,  I  only  blame  my 
self  for  being  so  vain  as  to  think  it  possible  I  could  please 
such  a  creatur';  for,  sartainly,  you  told  me  how  it  was,  when 
we  talked  it  over,  on  the  mountain,  and  I  ought  to  have  be 
lieved  you,  then ;  for  I  do  suppose  it's  nat'ral  that  young 
women  should  know  their  own  minds  better  than  their  fathers. 
Ah's  me !  It's  settled  now,  and  nothing  remains  but  for  me 
to  take  leave  of  you,  that  you  may  depart ;  I  feel  that  Mastei 
Cap  must  be  impatient,  and  there  is  danger  of  his  coming 
on  shore  to  look  for  us  all." 

"  To  take  leave  !"  exclaimed  Mabel. 

"  Leave !"  echoed  Jasper :  "  you  do  not  mean  to  quit  us, 
my  friend  ?" 

"  'Tis  best,  Mabel — 'tis  altogether  best,  Eau-douce ;  and 
it 's  wisest.  I  could  live  and  die  in  your  company,  if  I  only 
followed  feeling ;  but,  if  I  follow  reason,  I  shall  quit  you 
here.  You  will  go  back  to  Oswego,  and  become  man  and 
wife  as  soon  as  you  arrive ;  for  all  that  is  determined  with 
Master  Cap,  who  hankers  after  the  sea  again,  and  who 
knows  what  is  to  happen :  while  I  shall  return  to  the  wilder 
ness  and  my  Maker.  Come,  Mabel,"  continued  Pathfinder, 
rising,  and  drawing  nearer  to  our  heroine,  with  grave 
decorum,  "  kiss  me.  Jasper  will  not  grudge  me  one  kiss : 
then  we'll  part." 

"  Oh !  Pathfinder,"  exclaimed  Mabel,  falling  into  the  arms 
of  the  guide,  and  kissing  his  cheeks  again  and  again,  with  u 


THE  PATHFINDER.  463 

freedom  and  warmth  she  had  been  far  from  manifesting 
while  held  to  the  bosom  of  Jasper — "  God  bless  you,  dearest 
Pathfmder  !  You  will  come  to  us  hereafter.  We  shall  see 
you  again.  When  old,  you  will  come  to  our  dwelling,  and 
let  me  be  a  daughter  to  you  ?" 

"  Yes — that 's  it" — returned  the  guide,  almost  gasping  for 
breath:  "I'll  try  to  think  of  it  in  that  way.  You're 
more  befitting  to  be  my  daughter,  than  to  be  my  wife ;  you 
are.  Farewell,  Jasper.  Now  we'll  go  to  the  canoe;  it's 
time  you  were  on  board." 

The  manner  m  which  Pathfinder  led  the  way  to  the  shore, 
was  solemn  and  calm.  As  soon  as  he  reached  the  canoe, 
he  again  took  Mabel  by  the  hands,  held  her  at  the  length  of 
his  own  arms,  and  gazed  wistfully  into  her  face,  until  the 
unbidden  tears  rolled  out  of  the  fountains  of  feeling,  and 
trickled  down  his  rugged  cheeks  in  streams. 

«*  Bless  me,  Pathfinder ;"  said  Mabel,  kneeling  reverently 
at  his  feet.  "  Oh  !  at  least  bless  me,  before  we  part." 

That  untutored,  but  noble-minded  being,  did  as  she  desired ; 
and,  aiding  her  to  enter  the  canoe,  seemed  to  tear  himself 
away  as  one  snaps  a  strong  and  obstinate  cord.  Before 
he  retired,  however,  he  took  Jasper  by  the  arm,  and  led  him 
a  little  aside,  when  he  spoke  as  follows : — 

"  You  're  kind  of  heart,  and  gentle  by  natur',  Jasper ;  but 
we  are  both  rough  and  wild,  in  comparison  with  that  dear 
creatur'.  Be  careful  of  her,  and  never  show  the  roughness 
of  man's  natur'  to  her  soft  disposition.  You  '11  get  to  under 
stand  her,  in  time  ;  and  the  Lord  who  governs  the  lake  and 
the  forest  alike — who  looks  upon  virtue  with  a  smile,  and 
upon  vice  with  a  frown — keep  you  happy,  and  worthy  to 
be  so!" 

Pathfinder  made  a  sign  for  his  friend  to  depart ;  and  he 
stood  leaning  on  his  rifln,  until  the  canoe  had  reached  the 
side  of  the  Scud.  Mabel  wept  as  if  her  heart  would  break ; 
nor  did  her  eyes  once  turn  from  the  open  spot  in  the  glade, 
where  the  form  of  the  Pathfinder  was  to  be  seen,  until  the 
cutter  had  passed  a  point  that  completely  shut  out  the  island. 
When  last  in  view,  the  sinewy  frame  of  this  extraordinary 
man  was  as  motionless  as  if  it  were  a  statue  set  up  in  that 
solitary  place,  to  commemorate  the  scenes  of  which  it  had  so 
lately  been  the  witness. 


464 


THE  PATHFINDER 


CHAPTEE  XXX. 

14  Oh !  let  me  only  breathe  the  air, 
The  blessed  air  that 's  breathed  by  thce  ; 
And,  whether  on  its  wings  it  bear 
Healing  or  death,  'tis  sweet  to  me  !" 

MOORE. 

PATHFINDER  was  accustomed  to  solitude ;  but,  when  the 
Scud  had  actually  disappeared,  he  was  almost  overcome 
with  a  sense  of  his  loneliness.  Never  before  had  he  been 
conscious  of  his  isolated  condition  in  the  world ;  for  his  feel 
ings  had  gradually  been  accustoming  themselves  to  the  blan 
dishments  and  wants  of  social  life ;  particularly  as  the  last 
were  connected  with  the  domestic  affections.  Now,  all  had 
vanished,  as  it  might  be,  in  one  moment ;  and  he  was  left 
equally  without  companions,  and  without  hope.  Even  Chin- 
gachgook  had  left  him,  though  it  was  but  temporarily ,  still 
his  presence  was  missed  at  the  precise  instant  which  might  be 
termed  the  most  critical  in  our  hero's  life. 

Pathfinder  stood  leaning  on  his  rifle,  in  the  attitude  de 
scribed  in  the  last  chapter,  a  long  time  after  the  Scud  had 
disappeared.  The  rigidity  of  his  limbs  seemed  permanent ; 
and  none  but  a  man  accustomed  to  put  his  muscles  to  the 
severest  proof,  could  have  maintained  that  posture,  with  its 
marble-like  inflexibility,  for  so  great  a  length  of  time.  At 
length,  he  moved  away  from  the  spot;  the  motion  of  tho 
body  being  preceded  by  a  sigh  that  seemed  to  heave  up  from 
the  very  depths  of  his  bosom. 

It  was  a  peculiarity  of  this  extraordinary  being,  that  his 
senses  and  his  limbs,  for  all  practical  purposes,  were  never 
at  fault,  let  the  mind  be  pre-occupied  with  other  interests,  as 
much  as  it  might.  On  the  present  occasion,  neither  of  these 
great  auxiliaries  failed  him ;  but,  though  his  thoughts  were 
exclusively  occupied  with  Mabel,  her  beauty,  her  preference 
of  Jasper,  her  tears  and  her  departure,  he  moved  in  a  direct 
line  to  the  spot  where  June  still  remained,  which  was  the 
grave  of  her  husband.  The  conversation  that  followed  passed 
in  the  language  of  the  Tuscaroras,  which  Pathfinder  spoke 
fluently ;  but,  as  that  tongue  is  understood  only  by  the  ex- 


THE   PATHFINDER.  465 

tremely  learned,  we  shall  translate  it  freely  into  the  English ; 
preserving,  as  far  as  possible,  the  tone  of  thought  of  each 
interlocutor,  as  well  as  the  peculiarities  of  manner. 

June  had  suffered  her  hair  to  fall  about  her  face,  had  taken 
a  seat  on  a  stone  that  had  been  dug  from  the  excavation 
made  by  the  grave,  and  was  hanging  over  the  spot  that  con 
tained  the  body  of  Arrowhead,  unconscious  of  the  presence 
of  any  other.  She  believed,  indeed,  that  all  had  left  the 
island  but  herself,  and  the  tread  of  the  guide's  moccasined 
foot  was  too  noiseless,  rudely  to  undeceive  her. 

Pathfinder  stood  gazing  at  the  woman,  for  several  minutes, 
in  mute  attention.  The  contemplation  of  her  grief,  the  re 
collection  of  her  irreparable  loss,  and  the  view  of  her  deso 
lation,  produced  a  healthful  influence  on  his  own  feelings : 
his  reason  telling  him  how  much  deeper  lay  the  sources  of 
grief,  in  a  young  wife,  who  was  suddenly  and  violently  de 
prived  of  her  husband,  than  in  himself. 

"  Dew  of  June,"  he  said,  solemnly,  but  with  an  earnest 
ness  that  denoted  the  strength  of  his  sympathy — "  you  are 
not  alone  in  your  sorrow.  Turn,  and  let  your  eyes  look  upon 
a  friend." 

"  June  has  no  longer  any  friend !"  the  woman  answered : 
"Arrowhead  has  gone  to  the  happy  hunting-grounds,  and 
there  is  no  one  left  to  care  for  June.  The  Tuscaroras  would 
chase  her  from  their  wigwams ;  the  Iroquois  are  hateful  in 
her  eyes,  and  she  could  not  look  at  them.  No ! — leave  June 
to  starve  over  the  grave  of  her  husband." 

"  This  will  never  do — this  will  never  do.  'T  is  ag'in  rea 
son  and  right.  You  believe  in  the  Manitou,  June  ?" 

"  He  has  hid  his  face  from  June,  because  he  is  angry.  He 
has  left  her  alone,  to  die." 

"  Listen  to  one,  who  has  had  a  long  acquaintance  with  red 
natur',  though  he  has  a  white  birth,  and  white  gifts.  When 
the  Manitou  of  a  pale-face  wishes  to  produce  good  in  a  pale 
face  heart,  he  strikes  it  with  grief,  for  it  is  in  our  sorrows, 
June,  that  we  look  with  the  truest  eyes  into  ourselves,  and 
with  the  farthest-sighted  eyes  too,  as  respects  right.  The 
Great  Spirit  wishes  you  well,  and  he  has  taken  away  the 
chief,  lest  you  should  be  led  astray,  by  his  wily  tongue,  and 
get  to  be  a  Mingo  in  your  disposition,  as  you  were  already 
in  your  company." 


466 


THE    PATHFINDER. 


'« Arrowhead  was  a  great  chief!"  returned  the  woman, 
proudly. 

"  He  had  his  merits,  he  had  ;  and  he  had  his  demerits,  too. 
But,  June,  you  're  not  desarted,  nor  will  you  be  soon.  Let 
your  grief  out — let  it  out,  according  to  natur',  and  when  the 
proper  time  comes,  I  shall  have  more  to  say  to  you." 

Pathfinder  now  went  to  his  own  canoe,  arid  he  left  the 
island.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  June  heard  the  crack  of 
his  rifle,  once  or  twice ;  and  as  the  sun  was  setting,  he  re 
appeared,  bringing  her  birds  ready  cooked,  and  of  a  delicacy 
and  flavour  that  might  have  tempted  the  appetite  of  an  epi 
cure.  This  species  of  intercourse  lasted  a  month,  June  ob 
stinately  refusing  to  abandon  the  grave  of  her  husband,  all 
that  time,  though  she  still  accepted  the  friendly  offerings  of 
her  protector.  Occasionally  they  met  and  conversed,  Path 
finder  sounding  the  state  of  the  woman's  feelings ;  but  the 
interviews  were  short,  and  far  from  frequent.  June  slept  in 
one  of  the  huts,  and  she  laid  down  her  head  in  security,  foi 
she  was  conscious  of  the  protection  of  a  friend,  though  Path 
finder  invariably  retired  at  night,  to  an  adjacent  island,  where 
he  had  built  himself  a  hut. 

At  the  end  of  the  month,  however,  the  season  was  getting 
to  be  too  far  advanced  to  render  her  situation  pleasant  to 
June.  The  trees  had  lost  their  leaves,  and  the  nights  were 
becoming  cold  and  wintry.  It  was  time  to  depart. 

At  this  moment,  Chingachgook  re-appeared.  He  had  a 
long  and  confidential  interview  on  the  island,  with  his  friend. 
June  witnessed  their  movements,  and  she  saw  that  her  guar 
dian  was  distressed.  Stealing  to  his  side,  she  endeavoured 
to  soothe  his  sorrow,  with  a  woman's  gentleness,  and  with  a 
woman's  instinct. 

"  Thank  you,  June  —  thank  you" — he  said — "  't  is  well 
meant,  though  it 's  useless.  But  it  is  time  to  quit  this  place. 
To-morrow,  we  shall  depart.  You  will  go  with  us,  for  now 
you  've  got  to  feel  reason." 

June  assented  in  the  meek  manner  of  an  Indian  woman, 
and  she  withdrew  to  pass  the  remainder  of  her  time,  near 
the  grave  of  Arrowhead.  Regardless  of  the  hour  and  the 
season,  the  young  widow  did  not  pillow  her  head  during  the 
whole  of  that  autumnal  night.  She  sat  near  the  spot  that 
held  the  remains  of  her  husband,  and  prayed,  in  tho  man- 


THE    PATHFINDER.  467 

ner  of  her  people,  for  his  success  on  the  endless  path  on 
which  he  had  so  lately  gone,  and  for  their  reunion  in  the 
land  of  the  just.  Humble  and  degraded  as  she  would  have 
seemed  in  the  eyes  of  the  sophisticated  and  unreflecting,  the 
image  of  God  was  on  her  soul,  and  it  vindicated  its  divine 
origin  by  aspirations  and  feelings  that  would  have  surprised 
those  who,  feigning  more,  feel  less. 

In  the  morning  the  three  departed ;  Pathfinder  earnest  and 
intelligent  in  all  he  did,  the  Great  Serpent  silent  and  imita 
tive,  and  June  meek,  resigned,  but  sorrowful.  They  went  in 
two  canoes,  that  of  the  woman  being  abandoned.  Chin- 
gachgook  led  the  way,  and  Pathfinder  followed,  the  course 
being  up  stream.  Two  days  they  paddled  westward,  and  as 
many  nights  they  encamped  on  islands.  Fortunately  the 
weather  became  mild,  and  when  they  reached  the  lake,  it 
was  found  smooth,  and  glassy  as  a  pond.  It  was  the  Indian 
summer,  and  the  calms,  and  almost  the  blandness  of  June, 
slept  in  the  hazy  atmosphere. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day,  they  passed  the  mouth 
of  the  Osv/ego,  where  the  fort  and  the  sleeping  ensign  in 
vited  them  in  vain  to  enter.  Without  casting  a  look  aside, 
Chingachgook  paddled  past  the  dark  waters  of  the  river,  and 
Pathfinder  still  followed,  in  silent  industry.  The  ramparts 
were  crowded  with  spectators ;  but  Lundie,  who  knew  the 
persons  of  his  old  friends,  refused  to  allow  them  to  be  even 
hailed. 

It  was  noon,  when  Chingachgook  entered  a  little  bay, 
where  the  Scud  lay  at  anchor,  in  a  sort  of  road-stead.  A 
small,  ancient  clearing  was  on  the  shore,  and  near  the  mar 
gin  of  the  lake,  was  a  log  dwelling,  recently  and  completely, 
though  rudely  fitted  up.  There  was  an  air  of  frontier  com 
fort,  and  of  frontier  abundance  around  the  place,  though  it 
was  necessarily  wild  and  solitary.  Jasper  stood  on  the  shore  ; 
and  when  Pathfinder  landed,  he  was  the  first  to  take  him  by 
the  hand.  The  meeting  was  simple,  but  very  cordial.  No 
questions  were  asked,  it  being  apparent  that  Chingachgook 
had  made  the  necessary  explanations.  Pathfinder  never 
squeezed  his  friend's  hand  more  cordially,  than  in  this  inter 
view  ;  and  he  even  laughed  cordially  in  his  face,  as  he  told 
him  how  happy  and  well  he  appeared. 

**  Where  is  she,  Jasper— where  is  she  ?"    the  guide  fit 


468  THE  PATHFINDER. 

length  whispered ;  for,  at  first,  he  had  seemed  to  be  afraid  to 
trust  himself  with  the  question. 

"  She  is  waiting  for  us  in  the  house,  my  dear  friend,  where 
you  see  that  June  has  already  hastened  before  us." 

"  June  may  use  a  lighter  step  to  meet  Mabel,  but  she  cannot 
carry  a  lighter  heart.  And  so,  lad,  you  found  the  chaplain 
at  the  garrison,  and  all  was  soon  set  lied  ?" 

"  We  were  married  within  a  week  after  we  left  you,  and 
Master  Cap  departed  next  day — you  have  forgotten  to  inquire 
about  your  friend.  Salt-water — " 

"  Not  I — not  I.  The  Sarpent  has  told  me  all  that ;  and 
then  I  love  to  hear  so  much  of  Mabel  and  her  happiness,  I 
do.  Did  the  child  smile,  or  did  she  weep  when  the  ceremony 
was  over?" 

"  She  did  both,  my  friend ;  but " 

"  Yes,  that's  their  natur';  tearful  and  cheerful.  Ah's  me ! 
they  are  very  pleasant  to  us  of  the  woods ;  and  I  do  believe, 
I  should  think  all  right,  whatever  Mabel  might  do.  And  do 
you  think,  Jasper,  that  she  thought  of  me,  at  all,  on  that  joy 
ful  occasion  ?"  . 

"  I  know  she  did,  Pathfinder ;  and  she  thinks  of  you,  and 
talks  of  you  daily — almost  hourly.  None  love  you,  as  we 
do!" 

"  I  know  few  love  me  better  than  yourself,  Jasper.  Chin- 
gachgook  is,  perhaps,  now  the  only  creatur'  of  whom  I  can 
say  that.  Well,  there's  no  use  in  putting  it  off  any  longer; 
it  must  be  done,  and  may  as  well  be  done  at  once;  so,  Jas 
per,  lead  the  way,  and  I  '11  endivour  to  look  upon  her  sweet 
countenance,  once  more." 

Jasper  did  lead  the  way,  and  they  were  soon  in  the  pre 
sence  of  Mabel.  The  latter  met  her  late  suitor,  with  a  bright 
blush,  and  her  limbs  trembled  so,  she  could  hardly  stand. 
Still,  her  manner  was  affectionate  and  frank.  During  the 
hour  of  Pathfinder's  visit,  for  it  lasted  no  longer,  though  he 
ate  in  the  dwelling  of  his  friends,  one  who  was  expert  in 
tracing  the  workings  of  the  human  mind,  might  have  seen  a 
faithful  index  to  the  feelings  of  Mabel,  in  her  manner  to  Path 
finder  and  her  husband.  With  the  latter,  she  still  had  a  little 
of  the  reserve  that  usually  accompanies  young  wedlock  ;  but 
the  tones  of  her  voice  were  kinder,  even  than  common  ;  the 
glance  of  her  eye  was  tender,  and  she  seldom  looked  at  him 


THE  PATHFINDER.  469 

without  the  glow  that  tinged  her  cheeks,  betraying  the  exist 
ence  of  feelings  that  habit  and  time  had  not  yet  soothed 
into  absolute  tranquillity.  With  Pathfinder,  all  was  earnest, 
sincere— even  anxious ;  but  the  tones  never  trembled,  the  eye 
never  fell,  and  if  the  cheek  flushed,  it  was  with  the  emotions 
that  are  connected  with  concern. 

At  length  the  moment  came,  when  Pathfinder  must  go  his 
way.  Chingachgook  had  already  abandoned  the  canoes,  and 
was  posted  on  the  margin  of  the  woods,  where  a  path  led  into 
the  forest.  Here  he  calmly  waited  to  be  joined  by  his  friend. 
As  soon  as  the  latter  was  aware  of  this*  fact,  he  rose  in  a 
solemn  manner,  and  took  his  leave. 

"  I  've  sometimes  thought  that  my  own  fate  has  been  a 
little  hard,"  he  said,  "  but  that  of  this  woman,  Mabel,  has 
shamed  me  into  reason — " 

"  June  remains,  and  lives  with  me,"  eagerly  interrupted 
our  heroine. 

"  So  I  comprehend  it.  If  any  body  can  bring  her  back 
from  her  grief,  and  make  her  wish  to  live,  you  can  do  it,  Ma 
bel,  though  I  Ve  misgivings  about  even  your  success.  The 
poor  creatur'  is  without  a  tribe,  as  well  as  without  a  husband, 
and  it's  not  easy  to  reconcile  the  feelings  to  both  losses. 
Ah's  me ! — what  have  I  to  do  with  other  people's  miseries, 
and  marriages,  as  if  I  hadn't  affliction  enough  of  my  own  ? 
Don 't  speak  to  me,  Mabel — don 't  speak  to  me,  Jasper — let 
me  go  my  way,  in  peace  and  like  a  man.  I  've  seen  your 
happiness,  and  that  is  a  great  deal,  and  I  shall  be  able  to 
bear  my  own  sorrow,  all  the  better  for  it.  No — I  '11  never 
kiss  you  ag'in,  Mabel ;  I  '11  never  kiss  you  ag'in — Here 's  my 
hand,  Jasper — squeeze  it,  boy,  squeeze  it ;  no  fear  of  its  giving 
way,  for  it 's  the  hand  of  a  man — and,  now  Mabel  do  you 
take  it,— nay,  you  must  not  do  this — "  preventing  Mabel 
from  kissing  it,  and  bathing  it  in  her  tears—"  you  must  not 
do  this—" 

"  Pathfinder—"  asked  Mabel ;  "  when  shall  we  see  you, 
again  ?" 

"  I  've  thought  of  that  too ;  yes,  I  've  thought  of  that,  I 
have.  If  the  time  should  ever  come  when  I  can  look  upon 
you  altogether  as  a  sister,  Mabel,  or  a  child — it  might  be 
better  to  say  a  child,  since  you  're  young  enough  to  be  my 
daughter—  depend  on  it,  I  'li  come  back ;  for  it  would  lighten 
40 


470  THE   PATHFINDER. 

my  very  heart  to  witness  your  gladness.  But  if  I  cannot — 
farewell — farewell — the  sarjeant  was  wrong — yes,  the  sar« 
jeant  was  wrong !" 

This  was  the  last  the  Pathfinder  ever  uttered  to  the  ears  of 
Jasper  Western  and  Mabel  Dunham.  He  turned  away,  as  if  the 
words  choked  him ;  and  was  quickly  at  the  side  of  his  friend. 
As  soon  as  the  latter  saw  him  approach,  he  shouldered  his 
own  burthen,  and  glided  in  among  the  trees,  without  waiting 
to  be  spoken  to.  Mabel,  her  husband,  and  June,  all  watchea 
the  form  of  the  Pathfinder,  in  the  hope  of  receiving  a  parting 
gesture,  or  a  stolen  glance  of  the  eye ;  but  he  did  not  look 
back.  Once  or  twice,  they  thought  they  saw  his  head  shake, 
as  one  trembles  in  bitterness  of  spirit ;  arid  a  toss  of  the  hand 
was  given,  as  if  he  knew  that  he  was  watched ;  but  a  tread 
whose  vigour  no  sorrow  could  enfeeble,  soon  bore  him  out  of 
view,  and  he  was  lost  in  the  depths  of  the  forest. 

Neither  Jasper  nor  his  wife  ever  beheld  the  Pathfinder 
again.  They  remained  for  another  year  on  the  banks  of 
Ontario ;  and  then  the  pressing  solicitations  of  Cap  induced 
them  to  join  him  in  New  York,  where  Jasper  eventually 
became  a  successful  and  respected  merchant.  Thrice  Mabel 
received  valuable  presents  of  furs,  at  intervals  of  years;  and 
her  feelings  told  her  whence  they  came,  though  no  name 
accompanied  the  gift.  Later  in  life,  still,  when  the  mother 
of  several  youths,  she  had  occasion  to  visit  the  interior ;  and 
found  herself  on  the  banks  of  the  Mohawk,  accompanied  by 
her  sons,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  capable  of  being  her  pro 
tector.  On  that  occasion,  she  observed  a  man,  in  a  singular 
guise,  watching  her  in  the  distance,  with  an  intentness 
that  induced  her  to  inquire  into  his  pursuits  and  character. 
She  was  told  he  was  the  most  renowned  hunter  of  that  por 
tion  of  the  State — it  was  after  the  Revolution — a  being  of 
great  purity  of  character,  and  of  as  marked  peculiarities ;  and 
that  he  was  known  in  that  region  of  country  by  the  name  of 
the  Leather-stocking.  Further  than  this,  Mrs.  Western  could 
not  ascertain ;  though  the  distant  glimpse,  and  singular  de 
portment  of  this  unknown  hunter,  gave  her  a  sleepless  night, 
and  cast  a  shade  of  melancholy  over  her  still  lovely  face,  that 
lasted  many  a  day. 

As  for  June,  the  double  loss  of  husband  and  tribe  produced 
the  effect  that  Pathfinder  had  foreseen.  She  died  in  the  cot- 


THE   PATHFINDER.  471 

tage  of  Mabel,  on  the  shores  of  the  lake ;  and  Jasper  convey 
ed  her  body  to  the  island ;  where  he  interred  it  by  the  sid« 
of  that  of  Arrowhead. 

Lundie  lived  to  marry  his  ancient  love;  and  retired  a 
war-worn  and  battered  veteran  :  but  his  name  has  been  ren 
dered  illustrious  in  our  own  time,  by  the  deeds  of  a  younger 
brother,  who  succeeded  to  his  territorial  title,  which,  however, 
was  shortly  after  merged  in  one  earned  by  his  valour  on  the 
ocean. 


^    >< 


•-        x 


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